The Trouble With Love Is
by doublecheeseburger
Summary: "I wasn't looking for you. I wasn't expecting you. You were never supposed to mean this much to me and I was never supposed to fall so hard. But I'm very lucky I met you..."
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone. My second story. Hope you guys will like it as much as the other fic.**

**Happy reading then.**

**Note: This story is yet to be proofread. Advance with caution! (Because I have awful grammar and I have this tendency to write like an Elementary school kid - No fucking kidding!)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-Hime...**

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><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is…<strong>

**Chapter 1**

She was nervous. She kept fiddling with her fingers during the car ride all the way to the mansion. Sometimes, she would occasionally take a look outside the window, silently wishing that they would take the wrong turn or better, _lost_.

_But that is not going to happen, is it? _

She mentally sighed. She entwined her fingers together, resting it atop her lap.

Her anxiety wasn't left unnoticed by the other passenger inside that limousine. Slowly she felt warm palm, wrapping around her hands, squeezing it gently. Her head quickly turned to look at her left.

Young, dark-haired man curved up a dazzling smile. She was quickly entranced by it.

"Are you okay?" his voice was soft and caring. A gently tug on her hands instantly brought her thought back and she nodded.

"Yes." She replied. "I'm okay."

He smiled again as he nodded. "It won't be long. We'll be there in a few minutes." His palm moved against the smooth skin underneath it, reassuring the fidgeting hands.

She could feel her heart's rate slowly easing. She relaxed. She moved her right palm, placing it atop the young man's hand and she patted it tenderly.

"Thank you, Reito." She smiled, earning a soft chuckle from the gentleman.

Reito leaned closer to the woman and he placed a lingering kiss on the brunette's forehead.

"You're welcome, Shizuru."

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><p>The black, sleek limousine parked right outside the mansion.<p>

"We're here, Kanzaki-sama." Said the driver as he held the door open for the passengers.

Reito gave a small nod as he stepped out the limousine. He took a deep breath, looked around the mansion's garden. "It's been a while…" he murmured.

The middle-aged driver just smiled. "Yes it is. Please step inside the manor, Kanzaki-sama. Your parents are expecting both of you in the hall."

"Okay!" Reito nodded. He held the door and beamed a bright smile to the brunette haired woman inside the limousine. "Come on, Shizuru. I'll take you inside!"

Shizuru just remained on her seat as she peeked around the area. "Ara, this place is huge, Reito…"

"And I bet it still cannot be compared with the Fujino's…" Reito interjected, earning a soft chuckle from his companion. He reached out his hand, "Welcome to my home, Shizuru…"

Shizuru giggled again, slowly reached out to wrap her fingers around Reito's as she stepped out the limousine. "Thank you my prince charming…"

Reito grinned, entwining their fingers together. They strolled side by side towards the building, holding hands as they enjoy evening breeze from the garden. They walked up the stairs that led towards the entrance and stopped right at the front porch.

"You're nervous, right?" a wide smirk adorned his masculine feature.

Shizuru arched an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Ara? What makes you said that?"

"Because you're trembling…" Reito gave a gentle squeeze on the brunette's hand as he chuckled.

Shaking her head in defeat, Shizuru just sighed. "Of course I am. I'm going to meet your parents tonight, am I not? Besides, with such short notice you gave me yesterday morning, I haven't prepared myself well for this meeting…"

Reito grinned, nervously scratching his jaw when he saw those pair of crimson orbs staring into his in mild anger. "I'm sorry. It's just my sister will be back tonight and it is hard to keep her to stay at home. We're going to have a little family reunion and I thought that tonight would be the best time for me to introduce you properly."

"Don't you think that I will intrude your family quality time? Your sister just got back. You should leave her to have some rest…" Shizuru smiled to the handsome face before her. Reito just shook his head.

"Nah… Don't worry. She's not the type of person who loves to stay at home. I'm sure she's been dying to meet her friends after five years studying abroad. I don't think she's going to have a rest anyway…" he chuckled. Shizuru also laughed at the statement.

"Talking about your sister, is she here already?"

Reito just shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, maybe she is–" his right hand was reaching out for the door knob when it suddenly being yanked from inside. The couple was surprised, they jumped a little.

A raven haired girl stood right at the door, left hand on the knob while the other holding a pair of leather jacket. A mild shock adorned her flawless face. She was munching a chocolate Pocky stick as her pair of luminous emerald eyes stared back and forth at the two figures in front of her.

"Oh? Hi, big brother!" she nonchalantly greeted the dark haired man as she took a step to the side, giving space for the couple to walk into the manor.

"Natsuki? You're here already? Who fetched you from the airport?" asked Reito.

The latter slowly put on her jacket, still munching on the chocolate stick. "Nobody. I took the cab." she bended down to her knees to tie up her boots. She let out a sigh after she was done and she slowly got up to her feet again, brushing off her jacket and flicking her silky blue hair.

Shizuru who had been remained silent just watched the tall, slender girl before her. _This is the first time I meet Reito's sister… _She scrutinized the young blunette intently from head to toe. _She's beautiful…_

Reito frowned as he eyed the raven haired girl's attire. "You're going out? I thought we're going to have a family dinner tonight…"

Swallowing the chewed sticks, Natsuki arched her brows. "What dinner?"

"Father didn't mention anything about me bringing my girlfriend here to introduce her to our family?" Reito sounded like he was annoyed.

Natsuki, who seemed like she was just noticed the presence of the aforementioned brunette, tilted her head to look at the woman next to her brother.

"Oh? Your girlfriend?" A finger pointed at the brunette as she turned to look at the taller man again. A smirk appeared on her lips, "So that means she's your 25th?"

_Ara? 25th? _Shizuru reflexively arched her thin brows, surprised at the statement as she tilted her head to look at the man beside her. She could detect the apprehension on Reito's face and the grip on her hand slowly tightened.

"Thank you for reminding me that. It will be a pleasure if you don't bring that up again, Natsuki…" he spoke between gritted teeth. Clearly Reito was displeased with his sister's nonchalant behavior.

"Yeah! And it will be a pleasure for me too if you could stop using my Ducati without my consent. Not to mention that you never take a good care of it. Now my bike is all fucked up, 5 years without proper maintenance…" Natsuki shot a sharp glare which could burn a hole to the pair of nervous golden eyes before her. Her voice was deep and threatening.

Shizuru blinked a couple of times, trying to register the small squabble in front of her. _Ara? So the black Ducati Reito always took me for a ride with wasn't his?_

When she didn't receive any response from the other man, Natsuki just scoffed at Reito's irritated face. She walked past the couple, purposely bumping hard on Reito's shoulder, making the young man to stumble slightly on his feet. She pulled out another chocolate stick and put it into her mouth, skipped down the stairs while humming a soft song happily.

"Natsuki! Stay for the dinner!" called Reito, somewhat angry.

The latter just waved, "No, thank you. I'll have my dinner outside. And tell mom that I'm not coming back home tonight." She continued to walk.

But then, after a few steps, Natsuki stopped and turned around again. She tilted her head up to look at the stunned brunette at the front porch. Shizuru arched an eyebrow, intrigued.

"And nice to meet you, Miss Reito's _25th _Girlfriend…" A playful smile curved up on the raven-haired girl's lips. She continued to stroll towards the gate, slowly disappearing within the darkness of the garden.

Shizuru was left speechless. She just watched the departing figure until she disappeared from her sight. _Miss Reito's 25th Girlfriend? _A sudden urge to laugh suddenly hit her.

She giggled.

"What are you laughing about?" Reito frowned, slightly confused when he saw the brunette chuckled.

Shizuru just waved her hand as she tried to endure her laughter. "No, it's nothing. Your sister is one funny girl, isn't she?"

Reito's brows creased again, "Funny? You're the first in this world to say that! Geez…" he walked into the mansion, stomping his way to the main hall where his parents awaited.

Shizuru blinked in surprise. She took a look at the main gate again where a certain navy haired girl walked out a moment ago. A soft smile slowly curved up on her lips.

"Shizuru! Are you coming or not?" Reito called from the hall, his voice was a tad louder and somewhat angry, it made her jumped slightly on her feet.

_It seems like her sister really knows how to push one's button, ne? I've never saw him this angry before... _She puffed out a sigh, slowly closed the door behind her and she started to walk along the corridor which led to the main hall.

_25th girlfriend... I should have been angry about it, but... _She smiled again silently as she walked. _The way Natsuki-san said just made me want to laugh... And the look on Reito's face when she disclosed it... He looked like he was being caught red handed for stealing cookies in the kitchen..._

A giggle slipped from her lips and she quickly covered her mouth, eyes widened. _NO! Stop laughing now, Shizuru... You're not going to laugh like a crazy woman in front of your future in-laws, are you?_

Composing herself, Shizuru took a deep breath right in front the beautifully carved entrance door for the main hall. _Okay. This is it._

She opened it and stepped inside the hall, heart beating loudly inside her chest. There stood a young man and when he saw her, a bright smile appeared on his face. He quickly walked towards the brunette, entwining their hands together.

"Took you long enough..." he whispered. Shizuru just managed a small smile as he brought her to a middle-age couple who she assumed was Reito's parents.

"Mother, father... This is Fujino Shizuru..." Reito spoke with unwavering confidence in his voice. He turned to look at the brunette, tightened their entwined fingers as he smiled contentedly.

Shizuru smiled back. Tender smile which brought the man's heart into ease.

"And she's my girlfriend..."

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><p><strong>Okay people. Tell me your opinion about this one, kay? <strong>

***P.S: Is there anyone who interested to be my Beta for this fic? It's not like I don't have one, it's just I've already burdened her with my other story and it makes me feel so bad to dump another crappy story for her to proofread.**

**So, it will be a great pleasure to have another help for this fic. So, just PM me, okay? PM ME! PM ME! PM ME!**

**Kthxbai... ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone! *hides face***

**Okay, I know what you're going to say. Yes, I've been in a freaking long hiatus and I'm really sorry for that. So, I'm going to give you guys the most lamest excuse: "I have a life to go on..." Hahahaha~! NO, I'm just kidding. It's just that I've been working a lot so it kinda made me lose my touch on the writing. In short, WRITER'S BLOCK.**

**I'll start again with the continuation for this story first then later, I will work on my other story. Don't worry, I won't be going MIA again this time.**

**Please enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Mai-Hime is OBVIOUSLY not mine!**

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><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is…<strong>

**Chapter 2**

Her eyes kept fixated at the woman who was sitting across the huge mahogany dining table. She tried to look down at her plate, averting her stare but she found herself tilting her head up to look at the older woman again.

_Oh my… Talking about similarities… She's like a twin―_

"Ara, Zuru-chan? Is there anything on my face?" the older woman suddenly spoke, making the fork and spoon in the brunette's hands almost slipped from her grasp.

Quickly plastering her casual smile, Shizuru shook her head, "Um-no, I'm sorry, Saeko-oba sama… I didn't mean to stare―"

"I bet you've already met Natsuki, ne?" Saeko cut in with a cheeky smile on her face, "Don't worry, sweetheart… You're not the only one. I get this all the time whenever people see me and Natsuki. They thought that we're twins…" she giggled.

Shizuru curved up a relief smile and she nodded. _But when you look closely, there are indeed some differences…_

"So, if people mistaken you as Natsuki's twin, it means that you're looking younger than your age, mother…" Reito beamed a charming grin to the older woman.

Saeko just giggled again with a soft blush adorning her cheeks. "Ara, Reito-kun. Stop it!"

Shizuru couldn't help but to chuckle at Saeko's flushed cheeks. _So adorable… I wonder if Natsuki-san also blushes like this…_

"_Don't_ even start, Reito…" the other man inside the dining hall spoke with a grim voice as he placed down his cutlery. His shiny hair was combed neatly. An elegant black _hakama _wrapped around his well-build anatomy, sleeves folded up to the elbow, revealing his toned, muscular arms.

"She'll keep nagging me about it for a week…" he opened his eyes, golden orbs glancing at the raven-haired woman with a playful stare.

"Mou, dear! You should be like Reito-kun sometimes! You're so boring!" Saeko pouted in mild anger to her husband, Keisuke. The others quickly burst into laughs.

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><p>The maids were serving desserts to each one of them since they had finished their dinner a moment ago.<p>

"Ice-cream, huh?" Keisuke scooped a small amount of ice-cream into his mouth, savoring the mint flavor coated around his tongue.

"Oh wow, this is good. Aya! Make sure you keep some of this ice-cream for Natsuki." He called to the maid and she quickly went back to the kitchen to do the task.

"I thought she stopped taking sugary treats long time ago…" Reito arched one brow, a bit puzzled.

_Hmm… that explains the kind of body she has… _Her mind wandered to the moment she met the raven-haired girl few hours earlier. _No sugary diet… That's amazing. Maybe I should try that too… _Shizuru silently acknowledged as she scooped another spoonful of mint flavored ice-cream into her mouth.

"She did. But after living in Europe for five years, it certainly changed her preference. And now she's been crazy about ice-cream or _gelato_ she rather calls it…" Saeko shrugged as she chuckled.

"And mayonnaise." Keisuke added, shaking his head in disapproval. "In every single thing she eats…"

Saeko laughed at her husband's frustration.

_I take back everything I've said just now… _Shizuru had to clamp her spoon in her mouth to avoid bursting into laugh. _Mayonnaise? How does she manage to stay in that figure? Urgh! I'm so jealous! _

"And talking about Natsuki, she said she won't be coming home tonight…" Reito put down his spoon.

One loud sigh emanated from the older man. "That girl… I wonder what it takes to put keep her inside this house for a day…"

"I thought with her bike in the workshop, it could hold her up from going out very often…" Saeko added.

"Her bike is in the workshop? What happened?" Keisuke frowned but his eyes quickly shifted to look at the young man inside that dining hall.

Saeko tapped her index finger on her chin as she thought, "I'm not sure because I wasn't at home when she arrived. But some maids told me that when Natsuki found her bike, she was very angry—"

Reito caught his father's stare and choked, spurting out the cold water before he covered his mouth. He coughed hard, his face went red.

"Ara? Reito… Are you okay?" Shizuru quickly patted the young man's back, worried.

Reito waved his hand as he coughed, "Y-yeah! I'm okay!"

Shizuru frowned, "Are you sure? Here, have some water. You need to ease down that coughing—"

"No-no! It's okay! I need to go to the bathroom now. Excuse me!" he pushed himself off of the chair and walked out the dining room.

An awkward silence quickly engulfed the dining hall.

_Okay… Now I'm alone with his parents… Great. _Shizuru curved up a smile before she quietly continued with her dessert.

Keisuke was scooping the ice-cream in his bowl as he silently stared at the brunette haired woman across the table.

"So, Shizuru… Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself? What's your future plan and what do you see yourself in three to five years from now?"

_Seriously? I'm not here for a job interview…_ Shizuru smiled as she placed down her spoon, eyes fixated at the playful smile which adorned Keisuke's refined, handsome facade.

_He's trying to pull a prank on me… _She mentally sighed but her smile was still unwavering. "Well, Kanzaki-sama. As much as I want to elaborate the details, I'm afraid that we might not be able to finish it within a night. Shall we arrange a meeting or something?"

Keisuke instantly snorted and almost spit the ice-cream out of his mouth. "Oh my god. You're just like your father…"

Saeko sighed heavily, "_Really_, honey? Clearly we've known about her even before she is Reito's girlfriend. Stop teasing her. You've been doing this since Reito brought his first girlfriend home."

Keisuke chuckled, "It was fun to tease those girls. And I can't wait to do the same to Natsuki's boyfriend!" he laughed again.

_Good luck with that, Natsuki-san… _She barely restrained a smirk but she quickly took her glass, pretending to take a sip.

"But come to think of it, Natsuki-chan is 24 years old now and she never brings anyone home…" Keisuke scratched his jaw.

_Wait. Natsuki-san is single? That is so surprising… _Shizuru pondered quietly as she watched the older man and waited for him to continue.

"No, she did bring someone home…" Saeko cocked an amused eyebrow, smiling playfully to her husband's confused face.

It took a moment before Keisuke's face brightened. "Oh yes! That boy! Are they still together?"

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><p>He parked his car on the sideway. The road was empty as he crossed it. Some stores were already closing. He approached towards the only place which still has the light on.<p>

It was a workshop.

As he entered the building, some of the workers there gave him a small nod and bows. He just smiled, walking past them as his pair of jade eyes scanned around as if he was searching for something.

He spotted one particular metallic midnight black Ducati at the far corner. He also noticed a very familiar silky blue hair girl, crouching at the other side of the bike. His lips instantly curved up into a happy smile.

He silently crept behind the preoccupied girl who was disassembling parts of the Ducati.

"That is one serious face you got there…"

_What the—? _Natsuki quickly turned her head around as her right hand instinctively grasped on a heavy wrench, ready to swing if it necessary. But then her eyes slowly softened when she saw a spiky haired man, grinning from ear to ear, standing behind her with his hands in the pocket. The wrench in her hand fell to the floor, clanking loudly as it hit the cement ground when she suddenly lunged forward, pulling the young man into a tight hug.

"Takeda!"

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><p>Reito walked out the bathroom and joined the table again after cleaning himself up. He overheard his parents' conversation when he settled down on his chair.<p>

"Are you okay?" Shizuru leaned in, whispered to the young man in worried.

Reito just smiled, nodding his head. "I'm fine, thanks!"

"Feel better, Reito?" Keisuke arched one brow to his son, lips pressed together firmly.

The jet-black haired man quickly nodded, avoiding his father's knowing stare. "Yes, father."

"Make sure you pay for the cost of repairing that bike." Keisuke took a sip from his glass, eyes on the faltering man across the table.

Reito was speechless, slowly lowered his head again and murmured a soft, "Yes..."

Silence surrounded them again. Shizuru shifted her gaze from Keisuke's grim face to Saeko's nonchalant façade and to her boyfriend at her left.

_Ara… This is getting awkward… _She silently took the last scoop of ice cream into her mouth.

"Have you talked to Natsuki?" Keisuke suddenly spoke as he rested fully against his chair, arms folded across his chest.

Reito hesitated. "No, father… I haven't got a chance to talk to her yet."

"About what?" Saeko's brows raised in question.

"Just a little company's matter." Keisuke smiled to the woman. "And make sure you talk to her about that, okay?"

Swallowing the lump inside his throat, Reito gave a small nod.

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><p>After cleaning up her greased hands, Natsuki patted them dry with a piece of cloth.<p>

"When did you get back? Oh, sorry for that…" she chuckled, pointing at the black, oily palm marks on the back of his shirt.

"Don't worry about it. I'll wash it later." Takeda just laughed. "It's been a couple of weeks. Anyway, how long are you going to stay here?"

"I'm back for good." Natsuki shrugged with a happy smile on her face.

"Really?" His eyes widened in excitement. Natsuki nodded her head happily as she laughed.

"_Really _really!"

Takeda took a moment of silence as he watched the young raven haired girl. A smile curved up on his lips. "I miss you a lot."

An equal smile adorned the beautiful face. Natsuki chuckled. "Yeah, me too!" They shared smiles.

"Got a job yet?" Takeda pulled a chair, placed it in front of the blunette and sat down.

Natsuki glared at the spiky haired man. "I _just _got back earlier this morning, mister."

The young man chuckled. "I thought Yamada already offered you a job here." He said while motioning at the oil-stained blue overall on Natsuki's body.

Natsuki snorted. "No. I'm here because my bike broke down. He's short-staffed so I decided to do it myself."

His thin brows arched in surprised. "Eh? What happened?"

"Reito." She exhaled an annoyed sigh, scratching the back of her head slightly.

"Reito?" Takeda repeated.

"Yes. My stupid, pain-in-the-ass-brother, Reito."

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><p>They walked down the stairs hand in hand.<p>

"Well… that dinner was… _awkward._" Shizuru raised her brows at the depressed looking man beside her. "But the food is great, nonetheless." She said humorously.

Reito remained silent. A couple of sigh could be heard as they walked past the garden.

Shizuru shook her head then yanked the young man's collar to face her. "Ara! Stop sulking already."

Reito curved up a dejected smile and he sighed again. "I'm sorry you have to watch all that."

"It was entertaining actually." Shizuru giggled, releasing her hand from Reito's grasp. She walked backwards in front of Reito with a playful smile.

"What? You're not helping, Shizuru!" Reito's jaw went slack.

"Ara? You mad? First of all, you shouldn't lie about that Ducati which you claimed was _yours._" Shizuru lifted a finger.

Reito grunted inwardly, "I was trying to impress you!"

"Believe me, you did. But you had impressed me even more when you didn't even know which button to press to open the tank latch when we stopped for gas refill…" Shizuru arched one brow in amusement.

Reito was tongue-tied. He was out of response to counter Shizuru's remark. His shoulder went slumped. "Okay, fine! I did lie about that stupid bike! So you want to break up with me now?"

Shizuru shook her head again, slowly strolled towards the man and she held his hand. "I didn't say that I want to break up. We are still in the stage of knowing each other. If you keep up like this, doing things which are not the _actual_ you…" she sighed, placing a palm against Reito's cheek.

"I want to know you, Reito. Not a man who pretends to like a motorcycle just because I mentioned about it _once_…" She curved up a soft smile when Reito started leaning against her palm.

"But it sure does have a special place in my heart when it comes to bikes…" she chuckled and Reito rolled his eyes.

"Yeah! _Sure. _Why don't you go out with Natsuki then?" Reito gave a smug smile as he walked towards a sleek, vivid red Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and he opened the door for the brunette haired woman.

Shizuru arched one brow playfully, "Ara, that's a _good_ idea. Your sister is a very attractive woman and she seems nice too."

Reito watched the wide grin on the brunette's face with incredulous stare. "You've got to be kidding me…" he sighed as he got into the car.

Shizuru just laughed and stepped into the car and they drove out into the main road.

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><p>They were resting outside the workshop while Yamada's workers started to clean up. Natsuki had changed into her casuals; a pair of leather pants and a white round-neck T-shirt.<p>

"Come on! He was just trying to impress that new chick…" Takeda laughed at Natsuki's annoyed look as he handed over a can of cold coffee which he bought from the vending machine across the block. He settled next to the raven-haired girl, resting his back against the brick wall.

The raven haired girl rolled her eyes. "He can go buy a moped or an electric scooter if he wants to impress that woman! Now my Ducati is scratched and I have to send my baby for a paint job. That costs a lot of money!" she took a sip from her can.

"Ask Reito to pay it for you." Takeda suggested.

"Bitch, _please_. He's stingy like a crab. He only knows how to spend money on women…" Natsuki retorted and Takeda laughed again.

"So when are you planning to start to work? You have any company in mind? Or maybe just sit on that Chief Engineer chair which has been prepared for you in your father's company?" He playfully nudged her.

Natsuki cracked a smile and she shook her head, "I don't think so. Being a chief engineer as soon as you graduated doesn't seem right to me. I don't want that. I don't mind working as an amateur and slowly gaining the highest spot with my own effort..."

Takeda arched one brow, "I get it but aren't you one of the best and you know you deserve that position."

"Where's the fun with that? I like to go out and do the work. I don't want to be someone who just sitting in the office and waiting for reports. Besides, learning from books and experience it first hand are two different things—"

As they talked, a loud screeching sound came from the main road. They quickly turned their head around to look. One crimson Ferrari was making a U-turn and parked right in front the workshop.

Natsuki's brows instantly twitched when she noticed the car. _Fuck! Speaking of the devil…_

"Well… no wonder you're not coming back home for tonight… You're having a date." A voice came out when the driver lowered the window.

"Who's that?" Takeda whispered, trying to look under the dimmed street lights.

Natsuki narrowed her emerald eyes when she saw the dark-haired man inside that car. "You know who that is…"

Reito had this smug grin across his face as he stepped out the luxury vehicle, smoothing the lapel of his suit. "I knew you would be here. My guess is right." He grinned to the brunette haired woman who slowly made her way to stand beside him. Shizuru just chuckled as she shook her head.

"Ah! Congratulations. You want a candy for that?" Natsuki retorted with a monotone voice, slowly taking another sip of her coffee without even bother to look at the man.

Reito's face dropped slightly. He let out a cough as he sauntered around, looking inside the shop.

"Father asked me to pay for whatever cost of the repairing..." he stopped in front the blunette, looking down at the girl with a cold stare.

Taking a deep breath, Natsuki pushed herself off the floor and brushed her pants, "No, thank you. I already got that covered." She tilted her head up to meet Reito's golden orbs. Her eyes flickered dangerously.

Shizuru noticed the glare and she knew something wasn't right between these two siblings. _I wonder what happened between them…_

Takeda watched them like they were having a staring contest. He decided to remain silent as he stood behind the raven haired girl.

"Fine. You tell father that you already covered the cost. I don't want to be blamed later." Reito scoffed.

Natsuki arched her brows, not amused. "Okay then, see you next year!" she was about to walk into the shop when Reito called for her again.

"Wait, Natsuki! I want to talk to you about something."

Taking another deep breath, Natsuki pivoted her feet to face the man again. "What?" she sounded a little annoyed.

Reito seemed hesitated, "Father wants you to come to the office tomorrow…"

Natsuki frowned, "…Why?"

"He wants you to be part of the engineering team of the company—"

"And work under your leadership? No thanks." Natsuki interjected with a smile.

Reito gritted his teeth, "I'm the CEO. Of course you have to work under _me._"

Natsuki rubbed her nose, looking bored, "Exactly."

Reito took a breath, shaking his head with an annoyed smile on his face, "What is your problem?"

"What is _your _problem? I don't want to be part of the team, what's the big deal with that? You can always go find some other people out there to work for you." Natsuki replied.

"Father wants _you._ Besides, it is time for you to pay back the amount of money you have wasted for your study in Europe!" Reito stated it angrily.

Natsuki's brows twitched slightly within millisecond and Shizuru noticed it. _Ara..._

"Reito!" she uttered under her breath and she jerked Reito's arm, gesturing him to calm down. For a moment, Natsuki's eyes and hers met and Shizuru was a little taken aback by the cold and dangerous stare from that emerald orbs.

A smile crept on Natsuki's lips as she stared directly into Reito's golden eyes. "You better get your facts right before you declare it to the whole world, _big brother_. I never use dad's money for my study in Europe. I earned it myself."

Reito laughed, "Right… and you expect me to believe that?"

"Believe what you want. Dad knows and you can ask him yourself. I don't wanna waste my saliva explaining details to you." Natsuki uttered it coldly and she made her way inside the shop, leaving the other three awkwardly facing each other.

Takeda bowed and mouthed out 'Sorry' to the couple and quickly followed Natsuki into the building.

Reito clicked his tongue as a smile curved up on his lips. "Well, should've tell my father that there's no use to talk with this brat... Such a waste of time." He walked back to his car.

Shizuru watched Natsuki disappeared into the small office inside the building with Takeda. She didn't realize she had been standing there for quite a moment until she heard Reito's voice calling her to get into the car. A small sigh escaped from her lips as she started to walk to the car. Her head just couldn't stop wondering.

_What is happening between these two...?_

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><p><strong>Review anyone? kthxbai... XD<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I'm updating this story too while working out the other story. I hope you guys will enjoy this story as much as I writing it. **

**Happy reading then! ^_^**

* * *

><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is…<strong>

**Chapter 3**

"Natsuki!"

Her footsteps halted at the front porch as she was about to close the heavy mahogany door behind her. She frowned as she peeked from outside, noticing a dark-haired man slowly making his way towards her.

"Yes?" Natsuki responded, frowning.

Keisuke almost slipped a chuckle when he saw Natsuki's face contorted into a confused look and a little bit of annoyance in her dazzling emerald orbs.

"Where are you going?" asked Keisuke.

"Somewhere..." Natsuki said in a kind of tone which Keisuke had learned, knowing so well that young woman was somewhat displeased.

"Why can't you stay in this house at least for a second?" he asked, sighing exasperatingly.

Natsuki blinked a couple of times. Shooting a boring look at her father, she rolled her eyes and slipped a foot into the house,

"One second. Bye dad!" and she started to walk away.

"Urgh! Natsuki! Get back here or I'll ask the guards to chain that bike!" Keisuke was practically yelling after he was dissed by Natsuki.

"Um, my bike is in the workshop. I borrowed Yamada's scooter while he's working on my bike," Natsuki arched one brow as a contradiction to her father's statement.

"Okay, I'll chain that scooter too!"

A playful smile adorned the pretty face, "Pfft. I'll walk. No big deal."

"I'll lock the gate!"

"I'll jump over it."

"I'll _CUT_ your legs!"

"I'm here. What you want to talk about?" In a flash, Natsuki already stood by the door, grinning sheepishly from ear to ear at Keisuke's enraged face.

Taking a deep breath, Keisuke stared at the young woman, "3 days ago your brother brought his girlfriend home for a dinner and introduced her to us…"

Her right brow slowly started to twitch, "So?"

"Have you introduced yourself properly to her?" Keisuke asked, slowly inhaling his deep breath.

"What? To _Miss Reito's 25th Girlfriend_? Why should I?" Natsuki retorted, frowning.

Keisuke scratched his suddenly itching forehead. "She's your future sister-in-law! You should introduce yourself to her…"

"Right… What about the other 24 women Reito brought home for the past years? Weren't they supposed to be _my future sister-in-law_ too?" Natsuki retorted with a sarcastic tone in her voice, curling her index and middle fingers as if emphasizing her words.

Saeko who noticed the commotion earlier decided to join in, "Shizuru-chan is different, Natsuki. I can see it in his eyes. He loves her."

"Mom, _please_. You've said those words for 24 times already... And it makes 25 times now including this one," scoffed Natsuki.

Saeko just managed to blink, looking back and forth at her husband's troubled face and Natsuki's playful one. Keisuke let out a heavy sigh, watching the raven-haired girl with a disbelieve look on his face,

"Why are you behaving like this?"

"Nothing. It's just Reito… he's such an immature brat. That's all." said Natsuki.

"And you are not?" Keisuke countered.

Natsuki's brows twitched in disapproval.

Saeko folded her arms across her chest, watching her young daughter who seemed to get more and more annoyed, "Give Reito a chance this time. He's 26 years old now and he's matured."

"Mom, growing old is mandatory but it doesn't mean that he's growing matured. Immaturity could last forever…" Natsuki replied with a lip-curling smirk.

"Come on... Give him some credit. Maybe he's ready to settle down with Shizuru-chan. She's a Fujino, you know?"

"Yeah… She can be the daughter of Egyptian Pharaoh for all I care—"

"Natsuki!" Keisuke snapped.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as their gazes met, thickening to the point of where the tension could be sliced by a butter knife.

_Oh shit. He is pissed. _Natsuki knew the look on the older man's face. Her brain was like having an inner battle, deciding whether she should stay or just find an excuse to leave because she knew that the conversation they were having right now wasn't going to end well.

Finally, after having her brain faced a Civil War with their own thoughts, she took a deep breath, shoulders went slumped, "Come on, dad… I'm not going to argue with you, okay? It's clearly such a waste of time for us to have an argument about Reito's girlfriend. It's not beneficial for both our country and your health too."

Saeko burst into giggles while Keisuke's stern and tight jaw slowly loosened and his thin lips formed a small smile.

"I promise that I'll make some time to meet that girl and _properly_ introduce myself to her, happy?" Natsuki shrugged in a defeat manner, earning a wide grin from Keisuke.

"Very."

"So, can I go now?" Natsuki asked while making her best puppy eyes she could manage.

"No."

"Why!?"

"Because you are going to the office with me!" Keisuke grabbed his coat which hung at the coat hanger near the door and grabbed Natsuki by her arm. Natsuki only managed to groan in protest when Keisuke took her to the car.

"Mom! Help!"

Saeko shook her head as she waved to the moving car, chuckling lightly at the her daughter's frustration.

* * *

><p>"We are lacking in so many aspects… I wonder what went wrong…" His brows twitched, eyes looking worriedly as he flipped pages of reports in his hands. His left hand slowly made its way towards his temple, slowly massaging it to ease the throbbing pain in his head.<p>

It was already lunch time and none of them were aware about it since they were too engrossed with the reports and details.

"Here!" A long, delicate finger pointed at one paper that scattered on the table, "It seems that your engineering team is lacking. There are feedback regarding their incompetence in work. 'Not able to troubleshoot, machines breakdown and no action taken.'Have you checked on this? This is pretty serious…" said Shizuru, pointing out the matter one by one.

Reito's eyes almost bulged out from its socket, "What? How did that happen?"

Shizuru pushed the papers forward and Reito snatched them angrily. His eyes instantly enlarged with rage as he read the details.

"That old Ishigami! This matter is supposed to be under his supervision! What the hell he's been doing all this time!?" he slammed the papers against his table and reached for the phone.

Before he could press the speed dial which directly connected to Ishigami's office, a soft hand quickly placed atop his, stopping him from going any further.

"There's no use getting angry right now. Why don't we look for solutions instead of pointing finger, blaming other people for a mistake which cannot be undone…?" Shizuru smiled soothingly, trying to calm the heated young man.

"But it doesn't mean that I should let this slip away! He made a mistake! He should take the blame!" he retorted angrily.

Shizuru smiled again, "Well, if you're looking for someone to blame, aren't you also included?"

Reito frowned, "What?"

Slowly resting her back against the leather chair, Shizuru began, "You should have known better before letting him take control of this matter. You should be the first from all people to be aware about this, Reito…"

"I have a lot of things to take care of, Shizuru…" Reito's voice went deep, implying he wasn't pleased with Shizuru's statement.

"As a matter of fact, you do. I'm not going to argue with that. But still—" Her words halted briefly when she heard a little commotion right behind the door. She quickly turned around to look.

"What the hell is going on?" Reito too noticed the voices as he frowned and was about to walk towards his door when his blonde secretary opened the door, welcoming two other people into the office.

"Father? Natsuki?"

_Ara? _Shizuru quirked an eyebrow in surprise at the unexpected visitors.

Keisuke smiled widely at Reito and Shizuru while Natsuki with her hands inside her jeans pocket, looking around the office with aloof eyes.

"It's nice though but the color... Who chose the color anyway?" Natsuki frowned at the sight of maroon walls. "It looks like a sex shop..." The last few words went out like a whisper as she sauntered further into the office, looking around as if inspecting the interior.

Unlucky for Natsuki, there was one particular person in that office who had a pair of sharp ears. Shizuru's brows raised at the comment and she almost slipped out a chuckle. _Ara? Sex shop?_

Natsuki had more snide comments regarding the office interior but when she noticed Reito and Shizuru were inside that room, she quickly silenced. Her eyes instantly fell at Reito's surprised and somewhat annoyed face. "Oh, hey big brother. Didn't notice you here—"

Reito pursed his lips together, "Yeah. And I'm the one who chose the color. It's my office. I'll color it with rainbows if I wanted to!"

Both Natsuki and Shizuru together with Keisuke were surprised with Reito's sudden outburst. Silence quickly engulfed them and they fell into awkward silence.

A smirk appeared, "Okay! Whatever." Natsuki scoffed, slowly making her way towards the sofa.

_These kids... _Keisuke inhaled a deep breath as he turned to face Reito, "Anyway, I'm here with your sister just to give her a little tour around this place. What are you two doing? It's lunch time."

Reito fell to his chair, sighing, "Reports. Trying to finish them before the deadline you gave me. I didn't expect you would come this early, father."

Keisuke arched one brow as he smoothed his neat, ironed shirt, "I'm just visiting. Besides, I want to give a little insight to Natsuki about this company. Who knows, maybe she wants to join us someday?" Keisuke grinned at Natsuki while she simply rolled her eyes in response.

"I never said anything about joining the company." Natsuki raised her hands, playful smile adorned her lips.

Reito frowned again, "There you go. I meant to tell about this to you, father. She doesn't want to work for me. I've asked her the other day."

"Oh? Is it? Mind to tell me the reason, Natsuki?" Keisuke made his way to the couch. As he leaned comfortably against the leather sofa, he folded his arms, eyes staring intently at the young woman across him.

Shizuru remained silent. She watched how Natsuki's face changed from time to time as she talked to her father. _Come to think of it, the more I look at Natsuki-san, the more I see how different she is from Reito... No resemblance at the slightest!_

"I've just got back, dad. Let me have a little rest for another few days and then I will decide. Asking me to start to work as soon as I got back..." Natsuki sighed, pinching her temple slightly and she continued, "...I'm not even ready yet."

Keisuke smiled and he nodded, "Well, I'm sorry for that because I was the one who asked Reito to ask you about that matter. Should have thought about it." He scratched his chin, "Okay then, let me know when you're ready, alright?"

Natsuki pursed her lips, raising a thumb to her father as a sign of approval.

"Great! Now let's go have a lunch together. Shizuru-chan!" Keisuke called, somewhat startling the young brunette as she was looking at them the entire time. More specifically, at Natsuki.

Natsuki curved up a small smile at Shizuru's startling face.

Shizuru caught the smile. She felt her heart tugged slightly at the sight of it. She quickly brushed the thought aside and turned to look at Keisuke, "Yes?"

"Come and join us too?"

Shizuru gave a quick nod, "Of course! I would love to. Come Reito! We'll finish this up after lunch—"

"Hey, are you from Kyoto?"

_Eh? _Shizuru blinked at the question. Reito and Keisuke also were surprised with Natsuki's unexpected inquiry.

Shizuru had to hold the urge to giggle when she saw Natsuki quirked her left eyebrow, as regards to her question earlier. She just couldn't find an apparent reason why Natsuki's behavior amused her so much.

"Well, if my accent isn't obvious enough... Yes, I am from Kyoto." Shizuru sarcastically replied with another smile, her voice was rich with accentuated Kyoto-ben. Crimson eyes intently fixated at Natsuki's emerald orbs as the younger woman smiled in amusement.

"I see... Well I guess I haven't introduced myself properly the other day," Natsuki slowly stood up from the sofa and she moved towards the brunette haired woman, never taking her eyes off Shizuru's. She held out her hand as soon as she stood before the other woman. She now noticed that Shizuru was slightly taller than her. _Oh wow... her eyes really are red... I thought it was because of poor lighting or maybe she was wearing these stupid contact lenses..._

"My name is Natsuki. It is a pleasure to meet you again, Miss Reito's 25th girlfriend—"

"Natsuki! I've told you to stop calling her that!"

Natsuki tilted her head slightly to look straight at Reito who was now fuming, "You should be thankful that out of your list of girlfriends, she's the one I've ever introduced myself properly."

Her eyes went back to Shizuru's and she shook the soft hand in her grasp with a firm shake, "You should consider yourself lucky..." Natsuki winked and clicked her tongue, letting go the hand as she walked back to Keisuke. The older man just shook his head as he laughed.

"I've done it, okay dad? I hope you will stop bugging me about introducing myself to her again..."

Shizuru was speechless. She just didn't know whether she should be laughing to Natsuki's statement regarding her being Reito's number 25th or the fact Natsuki just winked at her. _Really, you are one interesting girl, Natsuki-san..._

"Okay now, let's go for lunch. Watching you two brats are making me hungrier..." Keisuke shook his head as he started to walk towards the door.

"You guys can go. I'll stay and finish these up..." Reito droned, slowly collecting the papers and stacked them on the desk with a sigh. Shizuru frowned inwardly and was about to retort when someone already did it for her.

"Oh, come on. Those things can wait. It's not like dad is going to fire you if you didn't finish it." Natsuki said with a smirk.

"Maybe I will?" Keisuke added with a laugh.

Natsuki snorted at the comment and Reito already scowled. He shut his laptop and closed the files with an angry grunt. Shizuru could only smile at Natsuki and Keisuke's antics.

"Fine. Lunch it is."

They were about to walk out the room when a cell phone blared out incoherent noises; a mix between broken tunes and rough sounds of incomprehensible vocals at the background. Shizuru's brows twitched slightly at the sound. _What kind of music is that?_

"Whoops! Mine. Sorry!" Natsuki swooped out her iPhone and slid the screen to answer. "Hello?" Natsuki quickly moved away from others, nodding a couple of times, smiling widely in response. They just watch the young woman as Natsuki ended her conversation and walked back to the group.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I have to go."

Keisuke quirked an eyebrow. So did Shizuru.

"Eh? Why?"

Natsuki curved up an apologetic smile, "I've promised Takeda to have a lunch together today."

"Takeda?"

Reito snorted almost instantly, "Ahh, a date?" he gave Natsuki a playful grin. Shizuru quickly made a mental flashback and she was brought to the scene where she had met a particular young man together with Natsuki the other night outside the workshop. _Oh yes, that man..._

"Sure." Natsuki monotoned.

"Why haven't you brought him home again? Last time I saw him was around 3 years ago..." Keisuke frowned slightly as he tried to recall.

"Well, _duh_? It's because he was like 5000 miles away from here. He was in Harvard, dad. He went there to study law, remember?" Natsuki stated as she kept away her iPhone in her jacket.

"You should bring him home sometimes. I miss having a little kendo sparring with him! Does he still practicing?" Keisuke asked.

Natsuki nodded her head, "He does. He once said that he wants to open a dojo for kids. He'll be doing it for free though..."

"That's very noble of him. The type of man you would consider to take as a son in—"

Just before Keisuke managed to finish, Natsuki held up her hand to Keisuke, stopping him from saying further, "I know what you're trying to say, dad. That is definitely _NOT_ going to happen!" she started to walk away from Keisuke and towards the elevator.

Reito just shook his head while Shizuru already chuckled as they watched Keisuke made his way to chase after his daughter.

"Why not!? You two are good friends for years! He's a Harvard graduate and good looking too..." Keisuke couldn't help but to chuckle at Natsuki's instant frown.

"Oh my god... I can't believe we're talking about this right now!" Natsuki groaned, impatiently pressing the elevator button as if the machine would come up any faster if she kept pressing it rapidly.

Finally got enough of teasing his daughter, Keisuke laughed, "Okay, okay. I'll let you off this time. Just send my regards to him and ask him to come visit soon."

Sighing in relief, Natsuki nodded, "Okay dad, I will."

"You better make it up to me later, Natsuki!"

Natsuki laughed as she already rushed towards the elevator, "Even better! I'll treat you some ice-cream, dad~!" she waved at Keisuke's scowl and as the door slowly closing, her eyes flicked at the sight of crimson eyed woman who was looking at her with amused smile on her face. Their eyes met briefly. They shared smiles and Natsuki quickly looked away as the door fully closed.

A couple of second past, Keisuke let out a sigh, "Oh well. I guess it's just us going out for lunch today, yes?"

"It even better without that brat, father..." Reito walked to the other elevator and pressed the button which led to the basement parking.

"I know that she can be a little mischievous sometimes but she's your little sister. I won't tolerate hearing it from other people and you also are not an exception. You are the older one. Take responsibility of handling her well instead of arguing over how immature she is whereby your immaturity could be leveled as the same as hers." Keisuke countered with a stern voice which made Reito's stomach churned slightly. He remained silent, deciding not to reason further against his father.

_Not this again... _Shizuru had to keep herself quiet as she just stood behind the two men, watching the conversation which had slowly turned into uncomfortable ones.

"Anyway, I'm sorry you have to hear all this, Shizuru-chan..." Keisuke suddenly turned to face the young brunette behind him and Shizuru just smiled brightly.

"Don't worry about it, Keisuke-sama... I think I'll get used to it..." Shizuru replied while Keisuke just laughed.

"Of course you will. And you need to stop addressing me like that. Just call me papa or anything you are comfortable with..."

_I think I like with the term 'Dad' Natsuki-san always calls him... It sounds so endearing and cute... _"I think I'll start with Keisuke-papa. How about that?" Shizuru said as she flashed another smile to the older man and to Reito's astonished face. Keisuke instantly laughed and Shizuru was glad she managed to lighten up the atmosphere a bit. She mentally sighed in relief.

"Keisuke-papa is good too!"

* * *

><p>Natsuki silently cursed as she pulled the throttle to its maximum but the machine just couldn't get any faster.<p>

"Damn this freaking scooter... If only my baby is here..." Her mind quickly wandered at her midnight black Ducati which rested in the workshop, probably being repaired by the mechanic by now. And it slowly brought her to the main reason why her Ducati was in the workshop.

_Damn you Reito... _She gritted her teeth, holding up her anger as she maneuvered the scooter into the right junction which led to the town. She rode along the fairly busy road and slowly came to a halt right in front the small café on her left. Before taking off her helmet, she glanced around and her eyes instantly brightened at the sight of two very familiar faces in that café, sitting near the glass windows. They already noticed her presence and excitedly waved at her. Natsuki just chuckled at the looks of her friends and quickly locked the scooter before walking into the building.

"Hey, hey! Look who's here? Nice scooter though. I thought you're a delivery girl or something!"

Natsuki just grinned as she placed down her helmet on the table, "Aww... Thank you. You look lovely too! I'm sorry I couldn't attend your funeral last year... How was it?"

Rude and snarky remarks. It was their way of expressing their love to each other and Takeda already had gotten used to. He just smiled as he watched his two closest friend with their little reunion.

The other woman just couldn't help but to laugh at the statement. Quickly getting off her chair, she pulled Natsuki into a tight hug.

"God! I miss you a lot, ya know?"

"Of course you do! I'm your best friend, Armitage!"

"Stop calling me by my middle name!"

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><p><strong>Okay. Tell me what you guys think about this one, okay?<strong>

**Kthxbai! Hahaha!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who took their time to review! I really appreciate it~**

**Regarding the update for my other story, I have written it halfway and I left the Word file in my external hard disk back home. I'm now constantly traveling, jet lag and all that shit... I need to pull myself together before I start writing it again. T_T  
><strong>

**Happy reading everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-Hime.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

"Do you cook...?"

"I microwave. I microwave very well."

"And um… What is your favorite food you love to microwave?"

"Anything edible and has possibility to taste good when being added with mayonnaise..."

"Really? You love mayonnaise? I love it too! I like it in my burgers especially."

"Oh, interesting. Let me just write that on my list of things I don't give a fuck about."

They quickly fell into silence again for the umpteenth times that morning ever since they sat across each other in that Japanese restaurant. She could see the man was swallowing hard after hearing her words. She had to hold the urge to laugh but still she needed to uphold her infamous icy glare at the fidgety man, intentionally making an effort to scare him.

_She's so beautiful but her words can be so malicious sometimes… _The young man cleared his throat, trying his best to avoid the stare, "Well, unfortunately this restaurant doesn't serve mayonnaise in its menu... so—"

Finally had enough of this meeting which she would consider as a total bullshit, Natsuki slammed the menu against the table as she stood up from her chair.

"Okay, you know what? Let me cut the chase for you. Clearly I don't give a shit about this _omiai_ and I don't want to know anything about you either. I got lots of work need to be done so why don't we just stop here and you can go find another girl as your potential wife, okay!?"

* * *

><p>"So that was pretty much what I said to him…" She sighed heavily as she ended her story, slowly taking a sip of her caramel macchiato. It was 12.30 in the afternoon and people already rushed into the café, trying to get their share of lunch.<p>

She quietly looked at her two friends from across the table, waiting for further response. One had this sympathetic look on his face while the blonde woman; she was in the verge of falling off her chair.

Haruka pressed her lips together. Her mouth went from a tightly squashed line so strained it was physically painful to see, to a slight curl before finally exploding with a deep, boisterous laugh, complete with urgent slaps to the person next to her.

"HAHAHAHAHA~! Wait-wait-wait! You attended an _omiai_? Oh my god! This is so precious! Hahahahaha~ I didn't know you're that desperate!"

Natsuki's brows twitched in a matter of millisecond and she held up her cup threateningly, "You want me to splash you with this caramel macchiato?"

Haruka was totally unaffected by Natsuki's threat as she continued to laugh. Takeda had to catch her offending hands as he spoke to Natsuki,

"I'll take that your father forced you into this?"

Natsuki sighed again, "This friend of his insisted to have me to meet his son who just came back from America. My father practically begged me to come. I just couldn't say no…"

Haruka had relaxed with her laughing as she rested her back against the chair, chuckling a couple of times when she looked at Natsuki, which made her raven haired friend more annoyed than ever.

Takeda rested his arms against the table. His face displayed his excitement, "So, what does he look like? Is he hot?"

"You're 100 times better." Natsuki smirked, quirking her eyebrows at Takeda. The young man grinned at the compliment.

"Aww… thank you. But you're not my type, Natsuki. Unless you start to grow something _down there_, I might consider it."

Both Haruka and Natsuki instantly cringed at the statement.

"Anyway, what happened next?" Haruka turned to look at Natsuki again.

"I blew him off."

"What about your father then? What did he say?" Takeda asked. Both Haruka and Takeda took turn in questioning Natsuki like she was under interrogation.

Natsuki rubbed the back of her neck, letting out yet another sigh. "I'll explain to him later…"

Haruka arched one brow questioningly, "Does he know that you _are_…?"

Natsuki quickly shook her head and smiled, "Nope, and I don't have any intention of letting him know…"

"What about Aunt Saeko?" Takeda asked. His face was concerned.

Natsuki shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "I don't know… I never said anything to her. Maybe I'll tell her one day…" She took a deep breath, "...but not now."

She threw her sight outside the glass walls as silence claimed them again. Despite the noise inside that café, she found it somewhat comforting. She watched people passing by the area. Some were walking so urgently, they almost stumbled on their feet. She saw these people moving. They were constantly moving with their own life and yet she felt her own world was barely progressing at all.

_Come to think of it, I never really plan anything regarding that matter… I wonder what am I going to do when that time comes… _Natsuki rested her chin atop her palm as she kept staring outside the glass. _Would they be okay if I told them about that…?_

Haruka turned to look at Takeda. He nodded his head in understanding. He reached out his hand and gently wrapped it around Natsuki's. Natsuki was startled at his action as she looked at the hand and to his face back and forth. Takeda smiled a meaningful smile while Haruka patted on Natsuki's shoulder softly.

"Whatever that is going to happen, we'll be here for you, ya know?"

Natsuki couldn't help but to smile wider at the statement. She knew exactly what her friends meant and it touched her. There were few instances where she felt so blessed for having them as her friends and this was one of them. Though they were constantly being such a troublesome duo to her, a moment like this was everything she needed to remind herself why she should be thankful.

She gently placed a hand against Haruka's and she gave Takeda's hand a soft tug.

"Of course."

* * *

><p>"Regarding the matter we discussed few days ago..."<p>

"You meant about Ishigami-san's incompetence?"

Reito gave a nod, eyes focusing on the road as he steered his car towards the left junction. Shizuru pondered momentarily, gazing out the window at the rapidly moving cars.

"I'm thinking of firing him."

As if she was already expecting it, Shizuru's lips curved a knowing smile, "Do you have anyone to replace him?"

"Kazuo-san is good enough to replace him," Reito pulled up the car as they reached at the red traffic light, "What do you think?"

"Does my opinion still matter if you already made a decision to fire him?" Shizuru asked, eyes still focusing at the moving cars on the opposite side of the road.

Reito smirked, "I still need to know your opinion though. You are my business partner after all..."

"Of course I am and now you're asking for my opinion, I think we need to hire your sister." Shizuru suggested with a smile.

"What!?" Reito turned her head around so fast, there was a soft cracking sound could be heard. He was staring at Shizuru as if she had grown another head, "You are kidding me, right?"

"No, I'm not. I've been thinking about it. I think with having your sister in our company, she will be a very good addition to the engineering team."

"She's a fresh graduate!" Reito said matter-of-factly.

"That is exactly the reason why we need her. Besides, she probably has the experience dealing with foreign people. That's a very rare chance you got there and the fact that she's your sister, I think she will be okay working for you..." Shizuru paused momentarily, "If only you be a little nicer to her..."

Reito scoffed in disbelieve as he shook his head, "Wow, I can't believe you actually said that..."

* * *

><p>"Anyway, stop talking about this matter now. I have a great news I want to share with you two." Haruka tapped the table, grinning excitedly.<p>

Natsuki quirked her eyebrows in curiosity while Takeda shot a boring look at the blonde.

"What now? Your father asked you to attend an _omiai_ too? Are you getting married?" Takeda asked and Natsuki instantly snorted.

Haruka frowned at the sarcastic questions as she slowly breathed, "No, I'm not getting married because I'm so freaking single and forever alone!"

Both Natsuki and Takeda burst into laughs.

"Okay-okay! What's the news?" Natsuki slapped Takeda's shoulder to shut him up and they started to focus on Haruka again.

Haruka slowly put up a smile and she placed an arm against the table, gradually leaning forward.

"It's time to put your Harvard qualification..." Haruka pointed her index finger to Takeda while having the other pointing at Natsuki, "And your double degrees to good use."

* * *

><p>"I just want you to consider it..." Shizuru closed the entrance door as they walked towards the elevator, carrying along their take-outs for lunch. "It's not that hard. Just be nice to her and I think she'll good to go!"<p>

Reito sighed heavily, "You don't know her, Shizuru... Do you think it will be that easy for you to simply offer her a job in our company while knowing so well she never has a slightest intention of joining us?"

"I'll talk to her!"

Reito raised his brows, "You? You want to talk to her about it?"

Shizuru nodded her head, smiling in confidence, "Yes. I will talk to her."

Reito snorted almost instantly, "Yeah, good luck with that."

* * *

><p>They were staring at each other. Anticipation was written all over their faces.<p>

"So... what do you guys think?" Haruka asked, wiggling her brows excitedly.

Takeda took a deep breath as he leaned against his chair, scratching his chin, "Wow… I mean like, _really_? Your father entrusted you to do that?"

Haruka just shrugged with a proud smile on her face and she turned to look at Natsuki, "Come on, Natsuki… Just say yes! I'm really counting on you! I will never make it if you refused to join me."

Natsuki chuckled, "You know I never refuse anything when it comes to you."

Haruka smiled in relief.

"_Except_ when you tried to cover our entire dorm with Mariah Carey posters…" Natsuki added with a grin and Takeda almost choked on his drinks.

Haruka frowned instantly at the sudden revelation. Her violet eyes shot an angry glare at Natsuki but her friend was totally unaffected by it.

"Oh my god! Yeah, Mariah Carey! I heard about that! How did you even manage to live with her as your roommate for 4 years, Natsuki?"

"It was a living hell! Thank god she graduated a year earlier than me. I had a very peaceful year after she went back here and left me alone there…" Natsuki grinned wider and Takeda laughed again, fuelling more anger into Haruka.

"Okay, why don't we sit back and enjoy a series of embarrassing story in the life of a girl named Natsuki—"

"Don't you dare, Haruka~" Natsuki quickly snapped, looking petrified.

Haruka arched one brow and smiled mischievously, "Oh, why not? You seem to enjoy reminiscing about our life in university together. Let me share my story then. I'm sure Takeda would love to hear it too…"

"Of course—" Takeda was about to agree when he felt a cold shiver suddenly ran down his spine. He turned to look and he gulped hard when he saw Natsuki's eyes were like shooting invisible icy daggers towards him.

"No. I'm not interested. Why don't we talk about cows?" Takeda instantly blurted out in panic, shaking his head fiercely, making both Haruka and Natsuki burst into laughs.

After a few moments of laughing, they slowly calmed down and went back to the actual conversation they had started earlier.

"So, I'll take that you both agreed to help me with this?" Haruka asked expectantly.

Both Natsuki and Takeda gave a nod and smiled,

"Of course, Haruka."

* * *

><p>"So when do you plan to talk with Natsuki?" Reito asked, slowly munching on his lunch, staring at the brunette who was sipping on her tea.<p>

"As soon as possible but we have preparation to be made for this upcoming presentation, right? It's an open tender from the governor." Shizuru took another sip and smiled, "It's a great opportunity to strengthen our base for government's projects."

Reito scoffed, lifting up his cup as he stared outside the window, "Don't worry. We'll definitely get that project. Those three old men want nothing but money anyway."

Shizuru frowned, "Bribery?"

Reito smirked, "More like a complimentary gift."

Shizuru placed down her cup, looking serious, "Your father would not be happy to hear that."

"He doesn't have to know." Reito retorted, shrugging his shoulders.

Shizuru shook her head, a little disappointed, "I thought we were done doing this kind of thing. I hate to do this, Reito…"

Reito quickly reached out, wrapping his fingers around Shizuru's left arm, giving it a light squeeze, "This is the last time. I promise. When we got the project, we are going to be established and I don't have to rely on my father again."

Shizuru closed her eyes and sighed heavily. Arguing over things as such would definitely lead to endless argument and Shizuru absolutely didn't want that. She pursed her lips together, giving a weak nod as she looked away.

_A promise… Again._

* * *

><p>Natsuki was fidgeting on her seat. Sometimes, she would take a nervous glance at the man behind the huge mahogany desk. Keisuke was sitting on his chair, silently working on his daily reports, flipping through pages, eyes scrutinizing each detail with full attentiveness.<p>

Finally after feeling like a thousand years, Natsuki saw Keisuke took off his glasses; a sign that he was done with whatever he was doing, Natsuki thought.

"He likes you."

Keisuke spoke, breaking the ice between them and the response he got from Natsuki was absolutely hilarious.

Natsuki's mouth fell open; eyes widened as she stared at her father as if he was doing something totally ridiculous like Gangnam Style Horse Dance.

"You got to be kidding me, right?" Natsuki swallowed painfully, completely taken aback by the statement as she straightened up, looking back at Keisuke in disbelieve.

Keisuke smiled, entwined his fingers together and he rested his chin atop of them, "He said you're unique. Very honest and feisty, and of course he couldn't stop talking about your beauty. I wonder what you had done to him yesterday. He seems to be so fascinated by you…"

_What the hell!? All I did was trying to scare him off… _Natsuki placed a palm against her face, sighing in frustration. She never thought her plan would backfire.

_I even asked him to fuck off and yet he finds me unique!?_ _Freakin' honest and feisty? WHUT!? He must be a special kind of breed in this human race…_

"He would like to have another meeting with you. Or more like a date—"

"Oh hell to the _NO_!" Natsuki snapped, holding up her hand, successfully silencing Keisuke. He was surprised at Natsuki's sudden outburst.

"Why not?"

Natsuki sighed again, scratching her head with obvious frustration on her face, "I don't like him."

"Learn to know him."

"I can't do that!"

"Why?" Keisuke frowned, gazing at Natsuki's face as he watched her sighed for the umpteenth times ever since she stepped into his office.

Natsuki ran her fingers through her hair—she was desperate for quick excuse to stop Keisuke from asking more questions.

"I-I'm in love with someone else!"

And she regretted it as soon as the words spurted out her mouth. _Oh hell... I've just said it..._

Keisuke's tight jaw slowly loosened as his lips curved up into a wide smile, "Takeda?"

_Oh my god... If only he knew that Takeda is not as straight as he thought..._ Natsuki had to shake her head, trying to avoid Keisuke from seeing her upcoming smile,

"No. It's not Takeda..."

Keisuke's face was somewhat disappointed, "Oh, it's not? Then who is it?"

"I'll introduce you to her—" Natsuki almost choked on her spit as she stuttered, "I-I mean, I'll introduce you to him when the time comes..." she curved up a nervous smile, silently praying Keisuke didn't notice her Freudian slip.

"And I shall wait for that moment..." Keisuke was indeed didn't notice as he nodded his head, smiling happily at the news, "Anyway, is there anything you want to talk to me? You rarely visit while I'm at the office. Anything important?"

Natsuki straightened up at her chair as she placed her arms on the desk, looking serious,

"Yes, dad. I have something I want to tell you."

* * *

><p>"Finally!" Reito threw the pen scattering across the table as he raised his arms up, stretching its tight muscles. Shizuru giggled as she collected the papers, stacking them neatly and clipping them in the ring file.<p>

"Shall we go see your father?"

Reito yawned and shook his head, trying to get rid of his sleepiness, "Yea... And we should ask for a day off or two..."

"We have this upcoming meeting with the directors from governor's office, Reito. Not the right time for a holiday..." Shizuru stood up from her chair, slowly making her way towards the door.

"I'm the boss here. I demand for a holiday!" Reito said in a playful manner, earning a wide smile from the brunette.

"Well, I'm the boss too so I say no."

* * *

><p>His brows quirked slightly at the unexpected news, "Armitage Tech?"<p>

Natsuki nodded her head a couple of times, "Yup!"

"So Haruka-chan will be in charge of her father's branch here... Are you going to be her partner?"

"No. I'll be one of her engineers. More like a project analyst."

Keisuke rubbed his jaw, inhaling deeply as he leaned forward, "Why do you want to do this, Natsuki? You got your position ready in the company and you don't have to do all the work..."

"Where's the fun with that?" Natsuki shrugged with a cute grin, "Come on, dad... You know I don't like sitting in the office and do nothing. Besides, I don't like the atmosphere in our company..."

"What? Is there something wrong? Was someone talked bad about you?" Keisuke almost bolted up from his seat.

"No. It's because they treat me like I'm a grand duchess or something. It feels weird. I don't like it."

"Of course they would do that. You're my daughter. Sure they don't want to get into trouble if they treated you badly. Besides, you're nice to them."

"No, I'm not. I'm just being the usual me."

Keisuke smiled, leaning his back against his chair, "Sometimes I wish Reito could learn that from you."

Natsuki just grinned sheepishly, "Anyway, that is why I'm here to talk with you about. I don't want to be the chief engineer in your company. I really want to help Haruka. She's just so clueless and I'm not saying that I'm more experienced but I want to grab this opportunity to learn and improve myself at the same time. I wanna be like you."

Keisuke closed his eyes, sighing, "You are so stubborn, you know that?"

"Wanna know where I learned it from?" Natsuki smirked, giving a knowing glare at Keisuke and he quickly laughed.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Yes?"

A young dark brown haired woman walked in and smiled at them, "Your son and Fujino-sama are here, sir."

"Let them in."

Shizuru first walked in and she saw Natsuki. _Ara? She's here? _Her eyes widened slightly and she just could not contain her smile.

_There she did it again... _Natsuki quickly lowered her head, staring at her lap when she saw that smile as she pressed her lips together, hard, hiding it from Shizuru's view.

Reito later appeared, flashing a charming smile at Keisuke's secretary as he walked in, leaving her flustered and cheeks blushed slightly, "Thank you." he chimed.

Natsuki noticed his antics; her brows furrowed slightly._ What the hell...? Your girlfriend is just right there and you dare to flirt with other girl? _She mentally shook her head.

"So, are you two done with the report?" Keisuke stood up from his chair, smoothing his shirt as he walked towards the sofa, gesturing Reito and Shizuru to follow. Natsuki watched them quietly as she saw Shizuru handed over a ring file, probably enclosed with reports and details about the company, she thought.

There were few discussions took place between Shizuru and Reito as they both took turn explaining details to Keisuke.

"And so we decided to fire Ishigami-san." Reito spoke, cautiously taking a glance at Keisuke's face when he heard him sighed.

"Do you have anyone to replace him?"

Shizuru's gaze quickly fell at Natsuki and the latter widened her eyes slightly when she saw those crimson eyes, staring intensely at her. _Eh? Why is she looking at me?_

Reito swallowed as he explained, "Well, we thought Kazuo-san would be a very suitable replacement for Ishigami-san..."

_We? I never agreed to any of that..._ Shizuru balled her fists, feeling a bit disappointed.

"Have you asked Natsuki about this?" Keisuke put up a smile as he turned to look at his daughter, giving her a playful quirk of his eyebrow, knowing so well that Natsuki would blatantly reject the idea. Natsuki instantly sighed at this.

"I want 700,000 yen a month."

"WHAT!?" Reito snapped.

Natsuki smirked at the sudden outburst. She knew exactly how to push one's button and she purposely did it just to cause such reaction.

Shizuru stared at Natsuki, trying to read her expression. Natsuki had this smirk on her face and Shizuru knew exactly what it meant._ She's teasing Reito... Is she trying to make Reito reject her demand so she doesn't have to work for him? _

"Take it or leave it, big brother."

"Father?" Reito turned to look at Keisuke, hoping that the older man would say something regarding Natsuki's demand.

Keisuke quickly raised his hands, "Oh hey, I'm not going to interfere in this matter. You need to deal with this by your own, Reito. This is your company."

Reito was frustrated and he turned to look at Natsuki again, "You got to be kidding me, right?"

"No kidding. I'm all for work if you're willing to pay me that much. If not, bye-bye!" Natsuki pushed herself off the chair and slowly made her way towards the door. Her hand was on the knob when she heard that voice,

"I really hope you would consider joining us..."

Natsuki didn't bother to turn around because she just didn't want to look at those crimson eyes. She didn't know why. She knew if she turned to face Shizuru, it might waver her decision. It never ceased to confuse her how Shizuru managed to affect her that much. She had met that brunette only for a few times, no actual conversation between them and absolutely had no idea about her other than the fact she's Reito's girlfriend, a Fujino clan and she came from Kyoto.

Natsuki stared at the door approximately for 5 seconds before replying,

"We'll see about that."

She opened the door and left.

Shizuru stared at the retreating figure. Her heart ached. Natsuki's refusal definitely had sparked something inside her. Shizuru's pride was usually never overwhelmed her rational thought but sometimes it sure had its moment to kick in.

Unlucky for Shizuru, Natsuki's stubbornness could match Shizuru's pride.

"Did you see that? And you are expecting me to have her in our company?" Reito spoke, his voice was filled with evident anger.

"Why don't we just offer her that salary but under one condition? We're going to monitor her work within 3 months probation and if she did prove herself to her word, then only we give her the amount she wants." Shizuru suggested, holding to a small hope that maybe Reito would agree to her proposition.

Reito scoffed, "She's not even worth a penny! 700,000 yen? Give me a break! I'm so sorry, father. I can't comply with your request to have Natsuki in our company. You have seen it yourself, her attitude says it all. I won't hire her." Reito bowed his head to Keisuke.

"Excuse me!" Reito spun around and walked out the office hastily, leaving both Keisuke and Shizuru alone.

Watching his son leaving, Keisuke just curved up a small smile as he shook his head. Shizuru lowered her head at Keisuke, completely baffled with Reito's behavior.

"I apologize for that, Keisuke-papa..."

"You don't have to do that for him, you know?" Keisuke said as he walked over to the door. Shizuru just remained silent.

"I'm going home for lunch. Do you want to join me, Shizuru-chan?"

Shizuru gave a quick shake of her head and she smiled, politely declining Keisuke's offer, "Thank you, Keisuke-papa. But I think I'll stay with Reito."

Keisuke sighed as he patted Shizuru's head, "He's so lucky to have you. I hope it doesn't take him too long to realize that..."

Shizuru blinked at Keisuke's words, feeling a bit confused. She watched him left the room and it fell into silence as he closed the door.

For the longest time, she started to realize something.

Was she lucky to have Reito?

* * *

><p><em>People talked. Gossiping around the campus; boys and girls likewise. They talked. But he never heard any regarding this one particular girl who had the same course as him. Yes, people did talk about her background, her grades and especially her beauty. But not this one thing which had kept him wondering.<em>

_'Is she single?'_

—

_"She's not dating anyone, as far as I know..." Tate munched on his share of sandwich, "Shiho tried to ask her about it the other day. She said Fujino-san always smiled and gave this vague answer every time people asking about it."_

_"Like what?"_

_"Well, Shiho asked her whether she has a boyfriend or perhaps she's actually married. Fujino-san would just smile and said 'Maybe'. And then she would walk away."_

_Reito smirked, arching his eyebrow, "She's not a social type either... I haven't seen her in any party our seniors threw..."_

_Tate brushed his sideburns, checking his face by the reflection of his phone, "Some girls said she's very traditional." Tate leaned forward, whispering, "Like really-really traditional, if you know what I mean... She's not the type of girl you'll meet every day. She's limited edition."_

_Reito chuckled lightly, "Well, that's exactly what I need. Besides, she hasn't met me yet. I'll change her mind."_

_Tate scoffed at the conceited talk, "Yeah right... Good luck with that..."_

* * *

><p>In the boardroom, there were few people sitting around the oval shaped table as they were looking at these three people, sitting at the front side as they talked to each other.<p>

"We're done with the presentation from Kanzaki Technology Corporation." said one middle-aged man. He was well-built despite of his age, of medium height and with dark hair. His beard was neatly trimmed, expensive dark grey suit fitted perfectly on his well-built anatomy.

"Shall we go to the final one? I would like to call for the representative from Armitage Tech..."

There were silence in that room as they turned to look at each other. Reito smiled silently as he looked around for the said person. _Armitage Tech? Haven't heard about it before... Maybe a new company? _He rubbed his chin, smiling wider. _Way to impress these old men... Late for this meeting—_

"Sorry, I'm late! Bad traffic! Did I miss anything?"

Reito and Shizuru almost jumped on their seats when they saw a certain raven-haired woman walked into the boardroom, all suited up with tight-fitting dark blue shirt, a pair of light grey slim-fit trousers, looking like an executive. The steady clacking sound of her heels against the marble tiles resounded across the boardroom and Natsuki had her hair pulled up into a loose pony tail, making her look more mature than her everyday look.

Shizuru took a sharp gasp of air as she watched Natsuki strutted towards the three directors. For the first time in her life, she was entranced by the presence of other woman. Natsuki had this certain aura which captivated her attention and it was different from what she saw the other day in Keisuke's office. _She's beautiful with just jeans and T-shirt, but this..._ Shizuru had to swallow whatever that wedged inside her throat; her eyes were fixated at Natsuki and it had no intention to look elsewhere.

"What is she doing here?" Reito hissed under his breath as he watched Natsuki talked with the directors. Shizuru couldn't help but to think the same.

"You look so familiar..." asked one of the directors.

Natsuki quickly smiled as she bowed her head.

"My name is Kuga Natsuki. I am aware that my mother was once under your acquaintance, Yamazaki-sama."

Shizuru's brows twitched at the sudden revelation. _Kuga? Kuga Natsuki? Isn't she supposed to be Kanzaki— _She instantly turned to look at Reito. The look on Reito's face was pretty much displayed his apparent anger. Everything now was crystal clear to her. _Natsuki-san is Reito's stepsister!_

Yamazaki's eyes widened when he heard it and instantly laughed, "You are the daughter of Kuga Saeko? Oh my god! No wonder you look exactly just like her! What a surprise!" And then he turned to look at Reito.

"And here I thought that you're associated with Kanzaki Technology Corporation?"

Natsuki took a short glance through the corner of her eyes at Reito and Shizuru then quickly faced Yamazaki again, "Um, that's a very long story to begin with and I'm sure we got no time for that. Shall we start the meeting now? My boss will kick my ass if I messed this one up!" Natsuki said with a playful tone, earning a loud laugh from the three directors.

"Sure! Sure! Let's hear it!"

* * *

><p>Natsuki began with her presentation. As they were listening to Natsuki's proposition, Shizuru couldn't help but to stare in awe at the young woman. <em>She definitely did her research. So much details and the idea of execution also interesting...<em> Shizuru glanced at the three directors. They were listening attentively to the speech, nodding their heads to each other as if agreeing.

_Looks like we have a clear winner..._ Shizuru turned to look at Reito. He had this look which she understood so well. He was infuriated. His face crunched into irritated look as he stared at Natsuki like a predator to its prey. Shizuru mentally sighed. _This is certainly not going to end well..._

15 minutes of presentation went by smoothly and Natsuki ended her slide.

"And as you can see, we, the engineers from Armitage Tech are very much experienced in this field and we promise that we will deliver in the highest quality and provide the best specialists you need. Thank you."

A generous amount of applause filled the board room. Natsuki smiled in pure satisfaction for completing the first task Haruka had assigned her to. When the three directors approached her, she quickly bowed her head as a sign of respect and they shook hands.

"Amazing work, Kuga-san. We're looking forward to collaborate with you in this project. It looks so promising. You're just as amazing as your mother. Sadly, your mom... such talented person decided to stay home after marriage... But now, I don't think we need to worry that much since we got you! You sure can handle this job?" Yamazaki asked with a smile.

Natsuki quickly nodded her head, "Definitely, sir! Definitely! I will do my best!"

"That's the spirit! Anyway, why don't we have lunch together? Ask Suzushiro-san to join too. My secretary will inform you the place and time later!"

"Of course! I'll inform Suzushiro-san about this. Thank you, sir! Thank you very much!"

Yamazaki laughed again as he patted Natsuki's shoulder, "Send my regards to your mother. Looking forward to meet her again one day."

"I will!"

Yamazaki gave her a final nod before he dismissed with the others. Natsuki just watched the directors left the boardroom with a huge smile on her face. _Yes! I did it!_

Shizuru saw that smile. Her lips unconsciously curved upwards. She was genuinely happy for that young woman. _This is definitely a good encouragement for her to improve herself later in the future... And why suddenly I feel like a proud mother? This is so weird... _Shizuru mentally chuckled at her own thought.

She was about to go to congratulate Natsuki when Reito walked past her and slammed his palm against the table where Natsuki placed her laptop and documents. The bang echoed across the room and luckily there were no other people inside. Natsuki was barely budged by Reito's harsh action as she just continued keeping away her belongings.

"What the hell!?"

"What the hell what?"

"You're working for other company? A rival company nonetheless?"

"Yeah, so?"

Reito took a huge intake of breath; his nostrils flared, "Stop acting stupid, Natsuki! I know you're doing this because you want to go against me!"

Natsuki scoffed as she gazed up to meet Reito's eyes, "Pfft! Stop flattering yourself. Why would I waste my calories going against you? You're not that important!"

"Then, why would you be Suzushiro's dog, competing against our company?"

"Reito!" Shizuru instinctively jerked at Reito's shoulder. She understood that he was furious but such spiteful words were definitely unacceptable—especially to call a family member as that.

Natsuki's hand froze at her task as she tilted her head, fully facing the taller man. Her emerald eyes flickered dangerously as she moved closer to Reito.

"Okay! That is _waaaayyy _out of line! First of all, I'm nobody's dog. Secondly, this is an open tender. Everybody got their chance to get in and if you're good enough, you will be chosen. Apparently, your engineers are not that good to impress the clients and now you want to get angry when I got their attention? And lastly, I'm working for Armitage Tech not because I want to go against you. I'm helping a friend. Besides, they're willing to pay me for what I want and you're not. It's _THAT_ simple!"

"It's because you demanded for a ridiculous amount of salary! There's no way I'm going to pay that much for a fresh graduate like you!" Reito yelled.

Natsuki let out a chuckle as she shook her head, "Fresh graduate huh? Then I guess you got nothing to worry about. It's business, Reito. Nothing personal. But if you decided to take this personally, suit yourself!" Natsuki finally finished with her packing, she started to walk towards the door.

"Natsuki! I'm going to tell father about this!"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever!" Natsuki nonchalantly waved her hand and she was about to walk out when Reito spurted more words which had made her patience went flying out the windows.

"You're so ungrateful. Father should've known better before spending his money to your so called further study in Europe!"

Her fists balled tightly, "Okay, I'm going to give you one more chance to shut the fuck up! I don't care if your girlfriend is here, I'm going to beat the shit out of you if you don't stop talking right now. Just one more word please and I _swear_—" Natsuki spun around, only to find Shizuru stood right in front of her, staring deeply into her eyes.

"Natsuki... _Don't._"

Those crimson eyes were unblinking and demanding; Natsuki was lost for words. Shizuru looked over her shoulder at the infuriated man few feet away behind her.

"Reito, she's your sister! Stop this insanity at once!"

Reito took a deep breath, calming himself down, "If it's not because of Shizuru asked me to, I would kick your ass right now..."

Like a surge of electricity running down her veins, her anger triggered again, "Ha! Come at me, bro! Because your girlfriend asked you, huh? Boy, aren't you whipped?"

"Why you—"

Reito's advance was blocked by Shizuru as she stood firm with her back at him, facing directly at Natsuki who was only a few inches away from her. They were staring into each others' eyes. Natsuki, again, was momentarily lost in the depth of crimson before her.

"Natsuki... _please..._" Shizuru's voice was soft, more like pleading and it came out like a whisper, "Stop..."

It took quite awhile for Natsuki to grasp the whole situation and back to her rational thought. She tilted her head, staring back into Shizuru's as if searching for something. A few second passed, she finally lowered her head and she chuckled lightly, just for Shizuru to hear and she whispered,

"Just take care of your boyfriend..."

Natsuki walked out the room, quietly closing the door behind her and she sighed. _Why did I even try to argue with that stupid ass? God... such a waste of time... _Natsuki shook her head, chuckling as she recalled everything that happened just now. _Thank god his girlfriend stood up to stop us... If not, I'm sure this boardroom would turn into a complete wreck!_

Taking another deep breath, Natsuki straightened up and smoothed her shirt. _I should get back and report to Haruka..._

* * *

><p>There was a silence in that boardroom. Reito was sitting in one of the chair, pinching his temple as Shizuru slowly walked over to him. She placed her palms against the desk, leaning forward so she was leveled with Reito.<p>

"_Seriously?_"

"What? She's the one who started it!"

"Oh, really? _She_ did?" Shizuru asked, sarcastically.

Reito's chest heaved, nostrils flared as he stared at the brunette with pure anger in his eyes, "Fine! I'm just angry, okay? She shouldn't be working for other company at the first place!"

"No, she can work for whoever she likes and you have no right to control that!" Shizuru differed flatly and Reito was stumbled for words.

"And now you're taking her side—"

"I'm taking nobody's side!" Shizuru interjected angrily, "You're being immature. This is business. She was just doing her job and she had done it amazingly. You cannot simply throwing tantrums at her just because she got the tender for your rival company! And if only you had listened to my idea about hiring your sister to work for you, this thing probably won't happen!"

Reito bit his lower lips, holding up his impending anger, "You know what? This is my family's matter. I don't need your opinion."

Shizuru pulled back, looking at the man before her with incredulous stare, "_Ara?_ Okay then. Next time, you can sit down in your office and ask your ego about anything. Don't bother calling me."

Shizuru briskly walked out the boardroom after collecting her purse and she slammed the door hard.

The room went into silence again. Reito shrunk into his seat, rubbing his temple and he sighed heavily.

"Damn it..."

* * *

><p><strong>A little note...<strong>

**Haruka in this fic is more like her character in My-Otome. I love the interaction between her and Natsuki. It was hilarious to watch and ****in my opinion, their relationship could be developed more. Since Sunrise didn't do shit about making anymore prequel or sequel or another sequel-sequel (I just don't know the exact term), I decided to put their relationship in this fic (Which I consider a further development on how I want their relationship to be).**

**Well, Takeda... He's still Takeda. He's just happened to be gay in this fic. That's all. Hahahaha~**

**Review anyone? ^_^  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone... Please don't mind me. I'm lethargic right now. So much work to be done and I had to finish this chapter, so here you go! Hope you guys will enjoy it.**

**Happy reading! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mai HiMe.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is...<strong>

**Chapter 5**

"_Talking about persistence..."_

"_Hmm?"_

_She gestured at the bouquet of flowers on her bed. Shizuru turned around to look and when she saw it, she instantly sighed._

"_They are roses this time..."_

"_Yesterday was sunflower, wasn't it?"_

"_The day before yesterday was lilies and the day before that were carnations... There were more kinds of flower last week but I can't really remember..."_

"_Wow..."_

_Shizuru put down her pen, running her fingers through her silky tresses, "Seriously, if he keeps this up, I probably could open a flower shop with all the flowers he gave!"_

_Yukino chuckled upon hearing the statement as she made her way towards her bed and dropped her bag. She sat down at the edge of the mattress and stared at her brunette haired roommate across the room._

"_You don't seem happy..."_

"_No. I'm ecstatic!" Shizuru faked a wide grin with a tight frown on her forehead. _

_Yukino shook her head as she stood up, sauntering over to Shizuru's bed and she picked up the bouquet._

"_It looks expensive..."_

_"Sure it is..." Shizuru continued with her thesis, eyes focusing on her text book as she replied._

_Yukino ran a finger on the petals, "You know, other girls probably would scream like a crazy fangirl and flaunting it around the campus if they ever got a rose from Kanzaki-san... You got a BOUQUET of them!"_

"_I never asked for it."_

"_And yet you received it?"_

_Shizuru spun her chair around, staring back at her mousy haired friend, looking slightly offended, "The florist who delivered this bouquet insisted to stand right outside this door and keep knocking if I refused to accept it. What do you expect me to do?"_

_Yukino just gave off a chuckle. They fell into a quick silence before Yukino started with another question._

"_He seems very serious about this. Why don't you give him a chance?"_

_Shizuru chuckled lightly, "We'll see about that..."_

"_He's handsome, he's smart, he's very athletic, his family is one of the most notable in Japan... The list can go on, you know...?"_

"_And yet I could not find it THAT impressive..." Shizuru quirked an eyebrow, smiling impishly._

_Yukino let out a heavy sigh, "You are so weird, Shizuru..."_

_Shizuru chuckled again, "Tell me about it..."_

_They fell into silence again as Yukino watched Shizuru quietly working on her thesis. A thought of curiosity hit her mind. She silently gulped. Shifting a little closer to her friend, Yukino placed her arms on the desk and asked,_

"_Shizuru, I know that this might be a bit weird and I apologize in advance before asking ..."_

_Shizuru's hand froze on her writing and she quickly spun around, looking at Yukino's troubled face, _"_Okay...?"_

_Yukino was fidgeting on her seat, trying her best to avoid Shizuru's inquiring stare._

"_You're starting to worry me, Yukino... Is there something going on—"_

"—_Do you like girls?" Yukino blurted it out before she could even hold herself._

_Shizuru blinked a couple of times, trying to comprehend with the meaning behind the question, _"_I'm sorry... What?"_

_Yukino was fidgeting again, "Are you... you know, I mean... Do you like girls? Like really-really like girls... I mean in THAT way?"_

"_What!? No!" Shizuru's reaction was a pure reflex. _

_Yukino sighed in relief, "Please, don't get me the wrong! I was wondering because you don't seem to have a slightest interest to any boy in our campus. And now Kanzaki-san is interested in you but you just—"_

"_No. I'm not!" Shizuru stated firmly, "I'm not like that!"_

_Yukino quickly took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, "Oh, okay... I'm sorry for asking such a weird question..."_

_Shizuru chuckled at Yukino's flustered and somewhat guilty face, "No, it's okay... I know... You're just worried about me."_

"_I do! I really do..." Yukino smiled apologetically, "I just want you to be happy, Shizuru..."_

_Shizuru nodded her head a couple times as she smiled softly, "I know."_

_They shared smiles and fell into silence for the third times that afternoon. Yukino tilted her head, staring at the ceiling while Shizuru continued with her thesis again. The increasing silence slowly put her focus back into her study as she flipped pages of her text book until Yukino forwarded her with another question._

_"So, what are you going to do with Kanzaki-san?"_

_Shizuru took a deep breath, "I don't know... I'm sure he will get the hint and give up eventually...__"_

_"Or maybe you can start off with being friends with him?" Yukino curved up a small smile._

_Shizuru tilted her head slightly, looking over her shoulder, "We ARE friends__." she stated flatly, giving her a stern look._

_"No. You two are just classmates. I rarely see you talking with him."_

_"I did—"_

_"—when we were doing group projects or when you asked him to pass over the notes to the students at the back row..." Yukino arched one eyebrow, smiling playfully._

_Shizuru sighed exasperatingly as she raised her arms, finally giving up, "Okay, what do you want me to do?"_

_"Give yourself a chance to get to know him. Nothing's wrong with trying, right?"_

_"And after that?" Shizuru raised her thin eyebrows questioningly._

_"Maybe you guys will move into something deeper, maybe get into a real relationship or something...?" Yukino shrugged, pursing her lips._

_Shizuru sighed again, "What if it didn't work out?"_

_Yukino gave her a soft smile._

_"At least you can say you tried."_

* * *

><p>They held up their glasses which filled with champagne.<p>

"To our first success and more!" Haruka spoke, smiling happily to the people inside that room. "And of course to Natsuki who managed to tame that grumpy Yamazaki without batting an eyelash!"

They cheered loudly and Natsuki just chuckled.

"Come on… I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't because of you guys! To you Chie!" Natsuki called.

The short haired woman with spectacles tilted her head up, smiling widely.

"Thanks for your awesome Flash presentation!"

Chie waved her hand, grinning at Natsuki's ecstatic face, "No problem, Natsuki... Just send me your nude photos as the token of gratitude—_Ouch!_"

Haruka had taken the liberty to smack the short haired woman upside the head since she was standing closer to her.

"Thank you, Haruka!" Natsuki later gave the blonde a high five for doing so and Haruka nodded her head proudly.

"—and of course, to you Nao! Thank you for putting up with me during the whole research process we had done together…" Natsuki continued, raising her glass to the red haired woman at the corner.

"You owe me Samsung Galaxy S4, mutt…" Nao smiled gleefully at Natsuki's annoyed face.

"I'll buy it for you later! Damn! What's with you? You got like 12 cell phones already!" Natsuki snapped, shaking her head in disbelieve.

"Who cares about how many phones I got? I need them for my secret identity!" Nao barked angrily, frowning as she took a sip from her glass.

The others just laugh and they continued cheering.

"We've just done signing the deal. It's official and two weeks from now, we got hell lot of work need to be done, so everybody!" Haruka called, raising her glass again. The rest quickly followed suit and they smiled to each other. They remained silent as they waited for Haruka's speech.

_"It's a long, road..._  
><em>When you face the world alone,<em>  
><em>No one reaches out a hand,<em>  
><em>For you to hold,<em>  
><em>You can find love<em>  
><em>If you search within yourself<em>  
><em>And the emptiness you felt<em>  
><em>Will disappear..."<em>

Haruka concluded her speech with a sniff, feeling so much proud while other staffs inside that room just turned to look at each other, feeling somewhat confused. Out of nowhere, they heard cricket's chirps softly within the silence. They fell into an awkward turtle moment.

"Did you just quote Mariah Carey's song?" Natsuki asked with incredulous tone in her voice.

"Shut up!" Haruka hissed angrily.

Natsuki just shook her head and she chuckled, "Oh my god, I can't believe you just did that... Everyone, just cheers!"

"CHEERS!"

* * *

><p>Shizuru quickly wiped her hands on the dishcloth as her door bell chimed. She was just finished cooking her dinner when she heard the bell.<p>

"Just a second!" she jogged towards the door. She opened the door as much as the string lock allowed. Much to her surprise, she was presented with a huge bouquet of yellow roses.

"A delivery for Fujino Shizuru."

_Ara? Another flowers...? This late? _Shizuru took a quick glance at her watch. It was already 7.45 pm and she wondered who would send her flowers during that hour. A thought crossed her mind and she mentally sighed as she closed the door and fully unlocked it.

"Is this from Kanzaki Reito again?" asked Shizuru, trying to look at the delivery boy but his face was hidden behind that huge bouquet.

"Yes, ma'am."

Her eyebrows quirked slightly at the tone of his voice, noticing it was a bit familiar. Shizuru took the bouquet nonetheless, sighing again, "Would you please do me a favour? If Kanzaki-san ordered another bouquet, please don't send it here."

"But what if that Kanzaki Reito sends it here by himself?"

Shizuru tilted her head up sharply when she heard that voice, "Reito? What are you—" She stared at the delivery uniform on Reito's body and back to his smiling face.

"It's quite expensive to rent this uniform even for a few hours..." Reito grinned at Shizuru's surprised face.

Shizuru just stared at the man with a bore look. She wasn't really impressed with Reito's attempt. "Is it really necessary for you to do this?" she asked in an unamused tone, leaning against the door frame, hugging the bouquet close to her chest.

Reito took off the cap, scratching his head slightly, "You've been ignoring me for the past few days. My phone calls, messages. I haven't seen you at the office either..."

Shizuru took a deep breath, looking at everywhere but Reito's face. She had remained silent for the next few seconds until Reito spoke again.

"I'm sorry for being such an ass the other day..." Reito lowered his head.

"You don't have to apologize to me..." Shizuru muttered, "You need to tell that to your sister..."

She saw Reito's jaw tightened upon hearing her words and he quickly nodded his head.

"I did."

It was a plain lie and it didn't take a genius to figure it out when Reito had been trying to avoid eye contact and his face stiffened as soon as his words slipped out of his mouth.

Shizuru sighed heavily. She was in the middle of preparing her dinner and she was terribly hungry—lying to the starving person definitely wasn't going to do _anyone_ any good.

"Ara, _really_? What did she say to you? Did she forgive you?"

Shizuru could visibly see Reito's throat work down a gulp when she asked him the question. Reito was tongue-tied and he finally gave up when she persistently gave him a stern gaze. He was lacked of an excuse for Shizuru's question and her gaze was making it harder for him.

"I'm sorry..." He hung his head, speaking more to the floor than to Shizuru.

Shizuru sighed inwardly, "Like I said, you've done nothing wrong to me. You should apologize to Natsuki-san instead. What you said to her the other day was just too much." She shook her head.

Reito rubbed his temple, "I know... But I don't know how to talk to her..."

Shizuru quirked an eyebrow, lips curving into an amused smile, "You don't know how to talk to her? She's your sister, Reito!"

"Yea... but..." Reito sighed, "Come on, Shizuru... You're not forcing me to apologize to her, are you?"

Shizuru scoffed and shook her head as she slowly stepped back into her apartment, closing the door at Reito's startled face.

"OKAY! I'LL DO IT!"

Shizuru had to endure the urge to laugh when she heard it. Silently composing herself, she opened the door again. Reito's face was red—probably due to his anger or maybe he was actually embarrassed.

"You'll do that."

"But I need you to be there too! You have to help me!"

Shizuru drew her brows together into a frown, "Aren't you supposed to be the one who's apologizing?"

Reito ran his fingers through his dark hair, "Yes but she'll listen if you are around."

_She will? _Shizuru held her frown a little longer, feeling a bit confused with Reito's statement but it sure did perk her attention, "Okay... I'll be there, just to watch _you_ apologizing to Natsuki-san..." her lips formed into a playful grin.

"So I'll take that you already forgive me?" Reito's eyes brightened expectantly.

Shizuru walked back into the confines of her apartment, shrugging her shoulder in a nonchalant behavior, "Not really."

Reito's jaw dropped at that, feeling like he was being played, "Shizuru!"

Shizuru ignored his call with a smile as she left the door open, wasn't really inviting nor dismissing the dark haired man right outside her door. Reito took the hint and he stepped into the apartment.

"I have cooked some dinner. Let's have it together..."

* * *

><p>Nao had finished singing her song and everyone there had their jaws dropped, feeling amazed with her surprisingly good vocal as they gave the red head a thundering applause.<p>

"Wow, Nao... I didn't know you could sing that well..." Natsuki said, staring in disbelieve as Nao went to sit right next to her on the sofa.

"I have a very good mouth, _you know_?" Nao winked suggestively at Natsuki and the latter just gave an eye roll.

"My turn!" Chie had chosen another song and it was _Bruno Mars' Lazy Song_. She started to sing along to the music, bobbing her head and the rest were following her to dance exactly like the monkeys in the music video. Natsuki and Haruka were no exception while Nao was too lazy to dance—she just sat there, filing her nails.

Suddenly, Natsuki felt the phone in her jeans pocket vibrated. Taking it out, Natsuki looked at the flickering screen.

"Shit!" Her voice was surprisingly high, startling her office mates and before she slid the screen to answer the call, she shouted,

"EVERYONE! SHUT UP!"

And that karaoke room quickly went into a complete silence. Chie had took the a quick action to mute the audio system while the others just stared at Natsuki's bothered face, as they were also curious with the sudden phone call.

"Hello, mom?"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" they groaned, shooing Natsuki away and the room instantly filled with their laughter and music again.

"Fuck!" Natsuki cursed as the loud music swallowed Saeko's voice on the other line. She quickly walked to the far corner of the room, thrusting a finger to her other ear as she tried to converse with Saeko.

_"I can't believe you just said that to me, Natsuki. I'll make sure you get an earful next time you get home, young lady!"_

Natsuki cringed at the loud voice, jerking her phone away from her ear, "I didn't mean it to you!"

_"Are you in a club!? Why is it so noisy over there!?"_

"Stop yelling mom! And no, I'm not in the club! Me and my colleagues are in the karaoke place!"

_"Oh? No wonder I could hear Haruka-chan's voice singing Mariah Carey's song at the back..."_

Natsuki turned around to look. It was indeed Haruka who was singing to _Mariah Carey's Touch My Body._ Natsuki gave out an exasperating sigh and she walked out the room, closing the door behind her. Finally she got some peace to be able to talk with Saeko.

"Anyway, is there anything, mom? You are not calling me just to say hi, are you?"

There was a short pause and a sigh before Saeko continued.

_"I just want to inform you that your father and I have to rush to Shizuoka. Your Uncle Sakomizu got into an accident earlier this morning. We won't be home until the next morning."_

Natsuki almost slipped her phone off her grip upon hearing the dreadful news, "What!? Is he okay!?"

_"I've talked to him just now. He said they are just minor injuries, but he still needs to be hospitalized."_

"Do you want me to go with you?"

_"It's okay. I'll keep you updated if there's anything."_

Natsuki breathed out a relief sigh, "Thanks mom! Please send my regards to him!"

_"I will. Okay, go now, have fun with your friends. Don't stay there so late! And tell Haruka-chan that she needs to stop obsessing over Mariah Carey. It's not healthy!" _

Natsuki laughed loudly when she heard Saeko's comment, "Will do! Take care, mom! Please tell dad to take care too!"

_"Okay! Love you, honey! Bye!"_

"Bye!"

Natsuki cut off the line and sighed again. With her back against the wall, her face contorted into worried look as she stared quietly at the floor. "Damn... I hope he's okay... I should arrange a day off to visit him soon..."

Natsuki took another deep breath, scratching her head and she walked back into the room, only to find Haruka standing atop the coffee table, singing to _Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On _while the others were cheering on her. Her brows twitched in the speed of lightning.

"_Seriously_, Suzushiro!? This isn't a freaking concert stage! Just sing like a normal person, would you!?"

* * *

><p>"Okay father... Does Natsuki aware about this?"<p>

_"Your mother just called her. She's at the karaoke box with her office mates. Just make sure she would come back home safely, Reito. After what happened with Sakomizu, I certainly do not want anything alike happen to our family..."_

_Right... Like I care about her in the first place... _Reito just curved up a smirk, eyeing at the curious brunette who obviously was eavesdropping to the whole conversation.

"Sure, father. Don't worry about this. Have a safe journey!"

_"Send my regards to Shizuru-chan."_

"Yes, father."

Shizuru watched Reito's face changed as he cut off the line. His lips curved into a smile and he placed his phone on the table before continuing with his dinner.

"Is your uncle okay?" Unable to control her curiosity, Shizuru asked.

Reito gave a small nod, "He's fine."

"Aren't you going to visit him?" Shizuru asked again before sipping her tea.

"Nah, he doesn't sound too serious..." Reito nonchalantly replied, earning a sharp glare from the glinting crimson orbs.

"He's your uncle! How could you say that?" Shizuru shook her head in disbelieve.

Reito gave off soft chuckles and he quickly waved his hand to calm Shizuru down, "I'm just kidding." He chuckled again when Shizuru turned her head away, ignoring the young man as she continued with her dinner.

"I'm thinking of taking you along with me to visit him, what do you say?"

Shizuru gazed up at the expectant face before her and reluctantly let out a sigh, "Of course..."

"Yeah!" Reito pumped up his fist in excitement, "Oh, and by the way, we should go to my parents' house later..."

"Ara? What for?" Shizuru quirked up an eyebrow questioningly.

"You want me to apologize to Natsuki, right?" Reito placed down his cutlery, finally finished with his dinner.

Shizuru blinked a couple of times and she nodded her head, "Okay and promise me that you will talk to her nicely..."

Reito's brows drew together and he pouted, "You are certainly more concern about her instead of helping me out, aren't you?

Shizuru's lips unconsciously curved up a smile—she just wasn't sure where she got such certainty when she replied,

"Yes I am."

* * *

><p>Natsuki hung her head low at the loud music, blinking her eyes at the sight of her shoes. Her head was throbbing painfully and the plan for staying up late for another drink at the bar suddenly didn't sound so appealing to her. Something was starting to sting her eyes too, like they were being poked with needles. Luckily she had downed only a half glass of champagne before the news of Sakomizu's accident reached her ears. She was far from being drunk and was positive she could ride her bike home. She reached for her keys and jacket, getting ready to leave when a voice stopping her.<p>

"Where are you going?"

Natsuki turned around, finding a certain red head walking towards her. Her steps were a little tipsy—probably because of the amount of alcohol she had throughout the night.

"My head hurts. I think I wanna go home..." Natsuki slowly put on her leather jacket, smiling at Nao's declining state—glazed eyes, lopsided grin and cheeks tinted bright red. Nao was drunk and Natsuki knew it was only a matter of second before she would pass out.

"_Staaaayyyy _for a while_..._" Nao slurred, tipping forward and she fell flat onto the floor and the next thing Natsuki could hear was her snores. Nao had passed out and she was the third person in that room who was completely wasted and Natsuki just wasn't sure how to take care of them. Haruka already curled at one corner, sluggishly sleep-talking about meeting Mariah Carey and Takeda was tipped upside down over the couch, snoring so loud that if someone went past the room, they probably believed there was a dragon sleeping in that karaoke lounge.

"We should call a cab for them..." Chie placed down a glass she had emptied earlier atop the coffee table, "The others already went home earlier and no, I'm not drunk." Chie smiled to Natsuki's inquiring gaze, knowing Natsuki's impending question.

Natsuki chuckled and shook her head, "Yeah, thank god you're not wasted, Chie..."

"My girlfriend would kick my ass if I came home drunk. Let me call my uncle. He's a taxi driver and I'm sure he will get them home safely."

"I'll escort Haruka home. She lives alone and nobody's going to fetch her from the cab." Natsuki scratched her head.

Chie bit at the corner of her lips as she pondered, "Are you coming back here to get your bike?"

Natsuki shook her head, "No, I'll go straight to home. The manager of this karaoke lounge is a good friend of mine. I'll ask her to take care of my bike for a night."

Chie gave a short nod and she quickly made a call for her uncle.

* * *

><p>Reito flicked his watch—brows creased into a frown.<p>

"Where the hell is she?" he grumbled, tapping his foot against the marble tiles impatiently while kept looking at the front door from time to time.

Shizuru traced the outline of her right palm with her left index finger and she took a deep breath, feeling slightly disappointed and worried. _Why am I being so worried about her? She's probably out there somewhere, doing her things... _Shizuru curled her hand into a fist. _And here I am, waiting for her to come home..._

They had been waiting for almost 3 hours and the sight of a certain raven haired woman was nowhere to be seen. It almost past midnight and Reito finally had enough of waiting.

"God... I'm going to sleep! Such a waste of time!" He bolted up from his seat angrily.

Shizuru took another deep breath and she decided it was best for her to go home too.

"Stay for a night."

Her brows came together into a surprised twitch when she heard Reito's suggestion. Reito was grinning widely and Shizuru could see that he was expecting a positive answer from her.

"I don't think it's appropriate, Reito. Your parents aren't here..." she curved up a smile, slowly standing up from the sofa.

"It's not like we're going to do anything. I don't want you to drive back to your apartment this late. It's dangerous. Please..." Reito insisted, trying his best to persuade the young brunette.

Shizuru gave off an exasperating sigh and she nodded her head, "Okay, I'll stay."

* * *

><p>Natsuki literally threw Haruka onto the bed and the young blonde let out a garbled groan before falling into sleep again.<p>

"God... Tomorrow I'm going to ask her why is she so freaking heavy..." Natsuki complained with a huff as she pulled the comforter to cover Haruka's body. She left the room lighted with a dimmed table lamp and the air-conditioner on. Before leaving the apartment, she made sure the windows were locked and luckily the front door had an automatic mechanism which would lock by itself once you closed it. Natsuki left the apartment and back into the cab, feeling so much relief after making sure her friends were back to the comfort of the own home safely.

"To your house then?" The taxi driver who was Chie's uncle gave a bright smile to Natsuki.

Natsuki smiled back and gave a weary nod. Her body was aching and she just couldn't wait to lie down and sleep in the comfort of her soft bed and fluffy pillows.

* * *

><p>"This is for you to change into. Here are the toiletries we keep for the guest." Reito handed over a pair of T-shirt and a small bag to Shizuru. "I think you should sleep in Natsuki's bedroom."<p>

Shizuru was a little surprised at the suggestion and she turned around to look when Reito tilted his head slightly, gesturing at the door a few feet away from them. She stared at the mahogany door which had an A4 size metal plate screwed on it which stated: _Natsuki's Royal Chamber: NO TRESPASSING!_

Shizuru gave a quick shake of her head, "I don't think so. What if she comes home tonight?"

"I doubt that. She rarely stays at home anyway. Besides, it is past midnight and I bet she's a drunken monkey right now. I'm pretty sure she's staying at one of her friends' house." Reito walked past Shizuru and opened the door for her.

Shizuru was reluctant. She took a peek inside the room and quickly turned to face Reito again. She didn't know why she felt so nervous, "Are you sure Natsuki-san would be okay with this?"

Reito chuckled, "Of course she would! Or maybe you would rather to share the same bed with me—"

"Okay! Good night, Reito!" Shizuru literally hopped into the room upon hearing his suggestion and closed the door at Reito's face the second time that night. She silently chuckled when she heard Reito's frustrated growl behind the door.

"Call me if there's anything. I'll wake you for breakfast tomorrow..."

"Okay! Thank you, Reito!"

Shizuru stayed still until the sound of Reito's retreating footsteps slowly disappeared and followed by the soft thud of his bedroom's door. She let out a sigh and tilted her head up, finding herself standing in the midst of this one particular color.

Blue.

So much blue. From walls, bed sheet, pillows, curtains. They were in various shades of blue that ever existed in this world. She placed the small toiletries bag and a pair of clothing Reito gave her earlier on the mattress. She sauntered around the clean and neatly made bed, gently running a finger against the smooth fabric. She smiled at the color.

"Natsuki-san sure loves blue too much..." Shizuru looked around, noticing a few model of pirate ships and motorcycles arranged at the shelf, "And pirates, also motorcycles too..." she chuckled, "As I expected, no Barbie."

She made her way to the small book shelf right beside the study. A few titles caught her attention as she ran her fingers along the aisle.

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower... nice choice. A lot of Stephen King's books... Divergent & Insurgent, Hunger Games Trilogy, Lord of The Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit..." and her finger halted at one book,

"50 Shades of Grey?" Shizuru had to endure the urge to laugh. "That is indeed a very interesting pick, Natsuki-san..."

Deciding that she finally had enough, Shizuru walked to her bag, retrieving her sleeping attire and toiletries. "I should clean myself up before I go to sleep... It's been a long day..."

* * *

><p>"Thank you so much, Natsuki-chan! You're such a great help!"<p>

Natsuki quickly shook her head and gave a lopsided grin, "No worries, oji-san! I just happened to know a little about fixing cars. But still, you need to take your cab to the workshop. They will give you a better repair and maybe you need to change some parts too."

Chie's uncle gave an apologetic smile and patted Natsuki's shoulder when she dropped the hood and pressed it down to lock it, "I'm sorry you have to do this instead of me... I feel so ashamed."

Natsuki chuckled lightly while cleaning her hands with a small towel the older man gave her, "Oh, come on... It was nothing!"

"No! I insist that you don't have to pay for the entire ride. I'll take you home for free!"

Natsuki's shoulder slumped in defeat and she chuckled, finally giving up to that old man's persistence.

"Alright then!"

* * *

><p>Shizuru was done drying her hair and she let out a soft sigh as she switched the hair-dryer off. She peered at her watch and it was already 1.30 in the morning. She had never been staying up so late and she started to feel a bit drowsy.<p>

"I should go to sleep now..." Shizuru spoke quietly as she put away the hair-dryer she took from Natsuki's dresser. She placed it back into its original place, feeling worried that Natsuki might get angry if she found out she had been using her belongings without her permission. Shizuru walked back to the bed and sat at one of the edge. She stared at the empty space of Natsuki's queen sized bed and the small stuffed puppy which placed right in the middle. She reached for the stuffed puppy and she flicked at its droopy ears.

"So cute..." Shizuru chuckled.

Shizuru hugged the plushie, scooting to the left side of the bed to lie down and rested her head against the soft pillow. She brought the plushie close to her face. A distinct scent wafted into her senses and somehow it calmed her. _Smell a bit citrusy... _Shizuru inhaled more. _And a bit like ocean... _

The scent was like an aromatherapy to her, giving both relaxing and comforting feeling. She closed her eyes, slowly drifting into sleep.

A soft jingling sound caught Shizuru's attention but she just wasn't sure whether she was dreaming or probably she was just imagining things. Besides, she was just too sleepy to think and she decided to ignore it until she felt a slight tug at the sheet underneath her. She squirmed slightly and was about to doze off again when the bed sheet was being pulled so rough, she was thrown off the bed due to the force.

"Kyaa~!" Shizuru squeaked in surprised. Luckily she was alerted enough, she landed on all four instead of crushing her face onto the floor, only to be surprised again when she saw a figure standing at the other side of the bed under the dimmed light of the table lamp.

"What the fuck are you doing in my bed?" Came a husky and very irritated voice.

"Ara, Natsuki-san? I'm so sorry!" Shizuru bolted up on her feet, brushing her slightly crumpled T-shirt.

Natsuki looked at Shizuru's sleeping attire—an oversized T-shirt which hung loosely down to her bare thigh and she recognized the T-shirt instantly. It was clearly belonged to a man and it was none other than Reito's. Why would Shizuru wear Reito's clothes to sleep? There was only one conclusion her tired mind could come out with and Natsuki could no longer hold her anger.

"Did you guys have sex in my bed? God! I'm so going to kill both of you!" Natsuki spoke between gritted teeth—the cover crumpled under her tightening fists.

Shizuru's eyes widened upon hearing such an outrageous accusation, "What!? No! We certainly did not have sex in your bed!"

"Then, why are you here? Not to mention that you and Reito got this house all to yourself!"

"Like I said, we didn't do anything! I was just sleeping here and Reito is in his own room!"

Natsuki's chest heaved and her eyes sparked with rage, "Okay then, but still why here? There are three guest rooms in this mansion for you to choose! And if there isn't, you can always cram in the bathroom. It's cozy enough to sleep though!"

Shizuru clenched her fists tightly. She had never felt so furious in her life to a point where she felt like slapping some senses into that bluenette. She could feel her face burning and the inside of her palms were aching due to her nails pressed against the skin so hard, leaving it embedded with crescent marks.

"Like I want to sleep here in the first place! Reito asked me to! He said that the guest rooms are at the downstairs. He didn't want to leave me sleeping alone down there and with me sleeping here—at least he could come right away if there's something happened!" Shizuru countered rapidly, her voice close to a shout and it made her had a little short of breath.

Natsuki paralyzed momentarily as she blinked at the sudden outburst, watching Shizuru's reddened cheeks and her uneven breathing.

"You do realize you've just said that in one single breath, right?"

Shizuru snapped her head up and glared Natsuki sharply. She just wasn't fond of a stupid remark—not right at this moment.

Natsuki rolled her eyes, walking over to her bed, snatching a pillow and her stuffed puppy. She was extremely tired and overly sleepy to argue with Shizuru and she finally came down to give up.

"Fine! You can sleep here. Only for tonight!" Natsuki pivoted her feet and started walking towards the door.

"Wait! Where are you going!?"

Natsuki's hand halted at the knob, "Sleeping in the TV room."

Shizuru quickly took her purse and her cell phone and made her way towards the door, "No! I'll go sleep in the guest room. I apologize for intruding—"

As Shizuru tried to walk away, Natsuki grabbed her wrist and held it firmly.

"Stop being difficult and just sleep here, okay? I don't want Reito come nagging at me tomorrow morning like an 800 years old granny for not treating his girlfriend well!" Natsuki glared at Shizuru as she released the wrist and went out the room, closing the door with a soft thud.

The room quickly fell into silence. Shizuru stared at the empty surface of the mahogany door as she quietly contemplated. _What just happened? _She let out a heavy sigh she unconsciously held earlier. Taking another deep breath, Shizuru brought up her hand, pinching at the bridge of her nose as she started to feel a bit dizzy.

"I can't believe I just yelled at her..." Shizuru shook her head and walked towards the bed, collecting the crumpled cover on the floor and made the bed neatly. Shizuru lay in the bed again, trying to sleep when she realized that Natsuki didn't bring any blanket with her.

Bolting up from her position, Shizuru took an extra blanket and she silently walked out the room, trying not to wake Reito who was in his room right at the end of the corridor. She strolled down the stairs and towards the TV room near the kitchen. She could hear the sound of TV behind the door.

"Natsuki-san?" Shizuru called, carefully knocking on the sliding door. When she didn't receive any response, Shizuru slowly slid the door open, finding a certain raven-haired woman already curled up on the sofa bed, snoring lightly while snuggling the stuffed puppy close to her face. Natsuki must had fallen asleep while watching some midnight shows because the TV was still on and the remote control threatened to fall off her grip as she dozed off.

Shizuru quickly took the remote and she switched off the TV. She silently walked to the sleeping figure, gently placing the blanket to cover half part of Natsuki's body. A soft grunt slipped out Natsuki's lips as she groggily pulled the blanket to cover her shoulder.

Shizuru smiled, giving Natsuki one last look before she walked out the room.

* * *

><p>The digital clock beeped, breaking the silence inside that room—indicating the hour was 3.00 a.m.<p>

"Water..." Natsuki croaked, tossing around as she struggled to get onto her feet.

Natsuki was half-asleep when she got up and walked into the kitchen. She moved around, leading by her instinct and her familiarity towards the kitchen interior. After retrieving a glass from the rack, she lazily dragged her feet towards the water cooler. Helping herself with a half glass of lukewarm water, Natsuki placed the glass into the sink and walked out the kitchen.

Due to her walking around in her sub-conscious mind, Natsuki had totally forgotten that she was supposed to walk back and sleep in the TV room. Again, being half-asleep, Natsuki climbed up the stairs and walked towards her bedroom. Quietly closing the door behind her, she walked over to the bed. She slipped into the covers, wrapping her arms around this soft material which she thought was her stuffed puppy.

To her surprise, it was warm and filled with this unfamiliar scent but she would care less now since she was too sleepy to think. Maybe the maid had washed it, she thought as she snuggled closer.

Her lips curved up into a small smile as she inhaled deeply.

She was starting to like this new smell on her 'stuffed puppy'.

* * *

><p>Shizuru's forehead creased as she listened to the soft but unmistakable sound of a snore. <em>Since when my pillow learns how to snore...?<em>

She shifted slightly, finding her movement was a little confined when she felt an unknown weight circled around her waist. _What is this...?_ Then a realization hit her brain.

_Don't tell me Reito sneaked into this room and— _Her eyes snapped open in the speed of lightning, only to be presented with color blue. She unconsciously let out a surprise yelp but when she recognized who that was, she quickly covered her mouth with her palm; afraid that she might awake the said person.

_Natsuki-san?_

Shizuru pulled her head back slightly to get a clearer view since her eyes were a bit teary for opening them so abrupt. It was indeed Natsuki who was dozing off peacefully—her arms were circling around Shizuru's mid-section as she breathed out soft snores. Some parts of Natsuki's face were covered with her long dark hair, cascading down and laying lazily on the sheet, giving a brilliant contrast with the blueness of the fabric.

Shizuru watched more, tilting her head from side to side as if inspecting the younger woman. It was funny how she got so much fascination just by watching someone sleeping.

_Other than her family and her boyfriend, maybe, does this mean I'm the other lucky person who gets to watch her sleeping like this...?_ Shizuru couldn't help but to smile at the thought of Natsuki who always gave off this reserved and unapproachable aura—totally contradicted with the view she was seeing right now.

Not to mention she snored.

Shizuru watched as Natsuki's chest heaved slightly and her mouth would form into a small, cute pout, giving off inaudible snore with each exhale.

Suddenly she felt like it wasn't enough. Those silky dark strands were blocking her view from fully seeing Natsuki's sleeping face. She carefully brought up her right hand, tentatively brushing away few strands of hair and tucked them behind Natsuki's ear.

_Finally..._

Maybe her touches were just too much; Natsuki stirred and groggily opened her eyes.

_Ara._

Shizuru's hand froze mid-air, fleeting right above Natsuki's cheek as she was about to pull away when Natsuki started to open her eyes.

Sleepy emerald met with awkward crimson.

How ridiculously cliché could it be?

"GAHHH!" Natsuki shot up from her sleeping position as she bolted backwards, unaware of the minimal space behind her and she fell solid on her back. Luckily the floor was thickly carpeted, but still hurt nonetheless. She grunted in pain, cursing all the way as she rubbed her aching back.

"Natsuki-san! Are you okay!?" Shizuru quickly crawled over, peering down from the bed at Natsuki's crunched face, holding up the pain.

"Not really..." Natsuki breathed as she slowly got up into sitting position and her back was aching.

"What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping in my room right now?"

Shizuru finally could breathe at ease and she smiled, "I am in your room..." her voice was in between being amused and worried.

Natsuki blinked and she took a once-over at the room. _Call of Duty poster, check! My blue sheets, check! Blue walls, check!_ It was indeed her bedroom.

So the better question should be what the hell was she doing in her own room?

"Oh god..." Natsuki sighed heavily, realizing she probably had sleep-walked all the way to her own room after drinking some water earlier.

"Natsuki-san?"

Natsuki actually was still in her lethargic state as she muttered a response, "Hmm?"

_She must be really tired..._ Shizuru chuckled at the cute, frowning face, "You're not planning to sleep on the floor right now, are you?"

Natsuki rubbed her sleepy eyes, blinking a couple of times and she shook her head frantically, trying to get rid of her drowsiness, "Um, yes—NO! I mean, no..." she exclaimed, hands flailing to emphasize her meaning. Shizuru quickly chuckled at Natsuki's flustered face.

"Come!"

Natsuki tilted her head, looking into Shizuru's eyes, "What?"

Shizuru smiled more, patting at the empty side of the bed, "Just sleep here. This is your room anyway..."

Natsuki shook her head, slowly getting up on her feet, "No, it's okay. I don't want to disturb you..." and she was about to turn around when a hand grabbed at her right arm, tugging it slightly.

"I insist."

Natsuki managed to hold her glare at Shizuru for the next few seconds but Shizuru was stubborn, she even tightened her grip on Natsuki's arm. Natsuki eventually gave in with a sigh,

"_Okaaaayyy..._" Natsuki dragged her feet and climbed onto the bed, slowly slipping into the cover.

"My mom said that I toss around a lot during sleep... So I apologize in advance if you found my foot on your face tomorrow morning..." Natsuki said with a crackling voice as she turned, facing her back at Shizuru.

Shizuru blinked as she just didn't know whether she should take the advice seriously. She just let out soft giggles.

"I'll keep that in mind..." she said, pulling the comforter to cover them both. Natsuki pulled at the cover, silently snuggling on it as she let out a contented sigh. Slowly laying down to her side of bed, Shizuru turned her back at Natsuki and closed her eyes.

"Good night..."

Shizuru snapped her eyes open, staying still for a few seconds before looking over her shoulder when she heard that soft mutter. She shifted closer, leaning in to get a better look at Natsuki. The latter was peacefully breathing, probably had fallen asleep by the sound of her soft snore, she presumed. Shizuru curved up a smile as she pulled at the comforter, covering Natsuki's shoulder from the chill of the air-conditioner.

"Good night, Natsuki..."

Shizuru went back to lie down on her pillow. Surprisingly, she found herself staring at Natsuki's back, raking at the contour of her figure which mostly covered by the comforter. Shizuru was about to close her eyes again when she felt the bed moved. Natsuki had tossed around, true to Saeko's word, and shifted closer to Shizuru's side. Now she was face to face with that raven-haired beauty as her face shone under the dimmed orange light of the table lamp.

It was breathtaking. Beautifully so.

Suddenly she felt a weird tingling sensation at the pit of her stomach. Her heart started to race and Shizuru just wasn't sure what had triggered such effect. She quickly shook the thought away and closed her eyes tightly.

_What is going on with me...?_

* * *

><p>Skin.<p>

Her vision was filled with skin. Milky white and glowing—only by the sight of it, she could actually feel its softness. Natsuki inwardly frowned. She didn't remember bringing anyone to her bed.

Then the remnants of her memory brought her back to the prior event earlier that night and Natsuki sighed. _Yeah... I forgot..._

Tilting up her head slightly, she was presented with Shizuru's neck. Her forehead rested just above Shizuru's collarbone. She felt Shizuru's chin at the top of her head as warm breath swept against her scalp. She was actually snuggling close to Shizuru's neck. It wasn't really a surprise to her because she knew she might be doing so and her mother always said that she loved to snuggle during sleep even though she hated to admit it.

She tilted her head higher, eyeing at the curve of Shizuru's neck, then up to her chin. It was a little pointy and Natsuki's gaze fell at the contour of the lips. They were tinted pink and glistened slightly. Natsuki pulled her head back a little. She continued watching Shizuru's face as the brunette dozed off, completely shut from the surrounding around her. The sandy tresses rested lazily across her neck and down to her shoulder, framing her soft yet strong feature. Natsuki had to admit, it was beautiful.

_And how the hell Reito managed to land such woman? She deserves someone 10 times better than that stupid ass..._

Natsuki realized she had been staring way longer than she intended. Suddenly she felt warm, starting from her fingertips and it surged towards her neck and face. She quickly averted her gaze and it fell to the arms around her waist.

_Oh shit!_

Natsuki tried to move but her movement hindered with tight hold of Shizuru's arms. They were circling around her mid-section, securing them right at her lower back. _Holy crap... How am I going to get off her?_ She gently placed her hand on Shizuru's shoulder, thinking of waking the brunette.

"I have to hug you like this because you are way too violent in sleep..."

Natsuki instantly tilted her head up at the voice and met with a pair of crimson orbs, staring down at her with a playful eye-smile. Much to Natsuki's surprise, Shizuru's voice was suspiciously clear—too clear for someone who looked like they were sleeping deeply just seconds ago.

"I toss around, yes, but not THAT violent..." Natsuki scowled at the comment, feeling a slow rush of heat warming up from her neck when she realized the close proximity between them. If she measured it, they were separated by a mere gap, maybe around 4-5 inches width.

Shizuru quirked an eyebrow at the sight of blushing cheeks. Her heart fluttered and she felt like wanting to squeak 'So cute' at the sight of adorableness in front of her.

"You didn't watch 'you' sleeping and for your information, you kicked me in sleep three times the entire night."

"Is that a complaint? You insisted to share this bed with me!"

A quick defense from Natsuki and they fell into silence. They were staring into each other's eyes—neither of them actually realized that they were still in each other's arms.

Shizuru's lips tugged into a wide smile, "Well, I didn't want you to fall and rolls down the stairs because you were just too sleepy last night... You barely could hold your eyes open!"

Natsuki's pretty face contorted into another scowl, but even then it just looked cute and it made Shizuru want to poke her in the cheek. Shizuru mentally shook her head at the weird thought. What was she thinking?

"You should let go now... I need to pee..." Natsuki was looking at everywhere but Shizuru's face. Her cheeks were flaring bright red.

Shizuru just couldn't get over the look on Natsuki's face when she asked to let her go. She smiled again as she slowly pulled back her arms, fingers tentatively grazing against the exposed skin of Natsuki's waist, sending these weird shivers all over her body. She could feel her heart rate increased simultaneously as she felt the skin trembled at her touch.

As soon as she felt the arms were no longer around her, Natsuki instantly pushed herself off the bed, practically leaping off and landed on the floor firmly before she turned around, avoiding Shizuru's mischievous stare. She could actually feel her cheeks blushed heavily and the last thing she wanted to hear so early in the morning was someone making fun of it.

"You should go wake your boyfriend for breakfast..." Natsuki said before leaving the room and silently closing the door.

There was a distinct tone in Natsuki's voice and Shizuru noticed it. Shizuru blinked her eyes a couple of times. _Did she sound a little angry?_ She quickly shook her head as she needed to get ready for breakfast. She got off the bed and walked over to the sliding door which led to the veranda, drawing the curtains. Sunlight quickly filled the room, filling up the space with bright yellow rays.

Shizuru stared at the vast view of the back garden. Her mind brought her back to last night's incident.

A smile slowly crept on her face.

* * *

><p>Shizuru had changed into her own clothes and she folded her sleepover's T-shirt, placing them into the basket right outside the bathroom which she assumed was for laundry. She stopped right outside Reito's room and contemplated whether she should wake the young man or just leave him to sleep for the next few hours. Besides, it was still early.<p>

Shizuru walked down the stairs. Her ears caught a loud conversation which she assumed was between Natsuki and Saeko. Her lips quickly curved into a wide smile as she hopped down a few stairs and walked into the kitchen. Just as she expected, Saeko was standing near the stove, probably preparing breakfast and her eyes instantly fell at the raven haired woman who was sitting atop the kitchen island. Shizuru quirked her brows in surprise when she saw Natsuki dipped celery stick into this medium-sized bottle which contained a thick, creamy white substance.

"Natsuki! Stop eating mayonnaise so much! You'll get fat even before you realize it!" Saeko slapped the knife against the cutting board as she scolded Natsuki.

"25 years and my body is still bangin', mom!" Natsuki gave the older woman a side-glance and a playful smirk before she noticed Shizuru's presence in that kitchen.

Shizuru instantly smiled, "Good morning!"

Natsuki was tongue-tied momentarily with the celery stick hung in the midair towards her mouth. She was about to reply but Saeko beat her to it.

"Ara, good morning, my dear! I didn't know you're here!"

"She spent a night here, mom..." Natsuki retorted with monotone voice and continued munching on the celery sticks.

"And yet you didn't even inform me about it?"

"It never occurred to me—_Ouch!_" Natsuki yelped in pain when Saeko pulled at Natsuki's hair as she walked past her and towards Shizuru.

"Never mind that brat..." Saeko assured when she saw Shizuru's face contorted into worried look at Natsuki's suffering, "Anyway, is Reito awake yet?"

Shizuru gave an apologetic smile as she shook her head, "I'm not sure, Saeko-mama..."

Saeko's left brow arched slightly at the reply, "How so? I thought you're sleeping with him—"

"No weird thoughts, mom... She was in my room last night and Reito was in his..." Natsuki interjected as she hopped off the counter.

"And how could you be so sure?"

"Because I slept with her?"

Shizuru quickly lowered her head and pressed her lips together, enduring the urge to laugh when she heard Natsuki's choice of words. Shizuru knew Natsuki didn't mean it '_that_' way but it still amused her. Somehow, it made her stomach do this weird little flip-flop and she had to wonder why.

Saeko frowned at Natsuki's nonchalant look as she folded her arms, "How did you know what was in my mind?"

Natsuki shrugged her shoulders, grinning slyly, "Because you smile like a creepy, perverted old man, mom..."

Saeko chuckled incredulously, "I'm definitely not thinking about what _you're _thinking I'm thinking, Natsuki."

"Right..." Natsuki scoffed as she leaned against the counter.

"Why are you being so protective?"

"I'm not being protective. I'm just stating the truth. And you need to stop thinking about having a grandchildren anytime soon, mom. It's annoying!"

Shizuru who had been watching just constantly smiled and giggled as she turned her head back and forth at the two women as they were bickering to each other. _Ara... They are so funny... arguing over something so trivial..._

Saeko gave out a long sigh, "This old lady has her craving for small babies, Natsuki!"

"Oh, that's cool. Why don't you go to dad and make some—_OUCH!_"

Natsuki received a small slap at the back of her head before Saeko angrily walked out the kitchen and Shizuru instantly burst into laugh. It certainly didn't help to reduce her laughter when Natsuki shot her an angry glare with her cheeks flaring bright red. It was such an odd combination of cuteness and angry look. Shizuru giggled more.

"Seriously, shut up!" Natsuki growled, harrumphing her way to the refrigerator and retrieved a carton of milk. She placed the carton of milk down on the kitchen counter as she reached for a glass on the drying rack above the sink. She poured herself a glass before drinking it straight away. After she finished drinking, Natsuki kept the carton away in the refrigerator and closed the door. She was about to walk out the kitchen when Shizuru tugged at her sleeves.

"You got something there..." Shizuru smiled, pointing a finger at Natsuki's face.

"Huh? What?"

Natsuki was about to use the back of her hand to wipe whatever that was on her face but Shizuru's action stalled her intention. Natsuki didn't have a reason why she stayed frozen when Shizuru raised her arm, a hand hovering in front of her mouth. Shizuru put her thumb just above Natsuki's upper lip, putting a little pressure against it as she moved it across, wiping the white stain away.

"Milk moustache." Shizuru giggled, smiling brightly as she showed her right thumb which was stained with milk.

Just like that, Natsuki felt like her brain was almost exploding. She lowered her head, avoiding Shizuru's eyes as she walked past her.

"Don't do that again!" She hissed under her breath.

Shizuru's smile froze as she watched Natsuki walked briskly out the kitchen. _Ara?_

On her way out, Natsuki accidentally bumped onto Reito, forcing the young man to stumble on his feet, startling him.

"Geez, Natsuki! Watch where you're walking!" Reito's voice was close to yell.

"Shut up!" Natsuki barked as she walked to retrieve her running shoes in the shoe rack, "Mom, I'm going for a run."

"Where?" Saeko asked, lowering the newspaper in her hands, looking at her daughter with inquiring gaze.

Natsuki pulled up her hair into a tight ponytail, "Just around the garden."

Saeko curved up a smile, "Okay. Be careful..."

Natsuki noticed Shizuru had walked out the kitchen and standing at the doorway, arms crossed, eyes fixated at her with this look she could barely understand. Natsuki continued tying up her shoe laces, trying to ignore the gaze which she felt could burn a hole right through her.

_What is she doing...?_ Natsuki frowned at her thought. She almost spurted out angry curses when her fingers stumbled to tie the laces. Being under Shizuru's gaze was certainly making her nervous.

_What am I doing?_

* * *

><p><strong>Review please?<br>**


	6. Chapter 6

**Late update. Sorry. I'm so freaking busy... *ugly sobs***

**Thank you so much for those who reviewed the previous chapter. I'm terribly sorry for not be able to reply personally to each and one of you guys. **

**Happy reading. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: Neither Sunrise nor Mai Hime is mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is...<strong>

**Chapter 6**

**_11.15 p.m_**

_"Hey Natsuki..."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Heeyyy Natsuki..."_

_"What!?"_

_"HEEEEYYYY Natsuki..."_

_"Do that again and I swear—"_

_"Hey-hey-hey-hey Natsuki..."_

_Natsuki reached out for her Converse under her bed and she flung it with all her might—it hit squarely on Haruka's head._

* * *

><p><strong><em>11.40 p.m<em>**

_"Heeeyyyy Natsuki..."_

_"Haruka, please... It's been a long day and it's almost midnight, so let me have some sleep—"_

_"Heeey, hey-hey-hey-heeeyyyy Natsuki..."_

_Natsuki grabbed at her pillow, jumping off her bed and she smacked Haruka repeatedly._

"_Kyaaaaahhh~!"_

* * *

><p><strong><em>12.05 a.m<em>**

_"Do you remember that night when I caught a terrible cold?"_

_"No, I don't and I don't care... Just let me have some sleep—"_

_"I wished my mom was there during that moment..."_

_"Okay... just go back to Japan and let me have some sleep—"_

_"I miss her so much. Do you miss your mom, Natsuki...?"_

_"No I don't and just let me have a fucking sleep!"_

_"You're such a ungrateful daughter! I have taught you better than being such an ignorant, conceited brat—"_

_"OH MY GOD! SHUT UP!"_

_Natsuki threw whatever there was around her to the blonde and she stomped out the room, slamming the door so hard it shook the entire corridor._

_Quickly recovering from Natsuki's attack, Haruka swiftly pulled out her cell phone and she tapped at the keypad and held her phone at her left ear, "She's out the room and extremely sleepy. Go get her and don't forget that limited edition standee!"_

_"Okay, thank you, Haruka! By tomorrow morning, the standee will be delivered right at your door!"_

_Haruka smiled as she cut off the line, "I'm so sorry my dear Natsuki. For the sake of that limited edition cutout standee, sacrifice has to be made... May you sleep in peace…"_

* * *

><p>"<em>Okay… Where am I supposed to sleep now?"<em>

_Natsuki groggily dragged her feet alongside the corridor. She was just too tired as the whole day ended with her hours of classes. She was extremely hungry but now, getting her sleep was the utmost priority. Her stomach could deal with it until the next morning._

_"Natsuki? What are you doing outside so late at night?"_

_Natsuki could barely open her eyes when she saw a blurry vision of a long haired blonde right in front of her. Natsuki shook her head a couple of times, rubbing at her sleepy eyes as she tried to look again, "What—?" _

_The other girl chuckled lightly at her cute behavior, "It's me, Natsuki. Rosalie—Rosalie Claudel, 2nd year of Accounting—"_

_Not even letting the other girl to finish her brief self-introduction, Natsuki quickly waved her hand. She just wasn't in the mood to hear any details of the other person, "Okay-okay, I know who you are..." __While in fact she actually had no freaking clue of this 'Rosalie Claudel'._

_Rosalie blushed slightly with the thought of Natsuki Kuga knew who she was._

_The 'Natsuki Kuga'—the infamous, hot, leather-clad lady biker who never gave a fuck of other people; actually knew who she was. It was an achievement of the year and she had to announce it around the campus by tomorrow morning._

_"You look really tired... Where are you going? It's late." Rosalie approached closer towards the sleepy bluenette._

_Natsuki curved up a tired smile and she shook her head, "Y-yeah, kinda... I was supposed to be sleeping but my roommate is being such an asshole and she kept bugging me..."_

_Rosalie chuckled again, "Haruka? I see..." she was fidgeting, fingers playing with the hem of her pajamas, "Why don't you sleep in my room then? My roommate is out the campus right now—she probably be spending a night at her boyfriend's."_

_Natsuki wasn't even thinking when she just nodded and let Rosalie pulled at her arms, leading her towards her dorm room._

* * *

><p><strong><em>12.35 a.m<em>**

_Natsuki felt hands._

_A bit demanding as they roughly threw off her sweatshirt, leaving her white wife-beater on and pulled at her hair but when she reached for them, they were soft and their palms were warm against hers when she entwined her fingers with them._

_Her head pulsated above her right temple and the pain forced her to stop the kiss. Through the obscure haze, she saw twists and swirls until she could distinguish a mouth, nose, chin and finally a pair of eyes as they stared back at her—crystal clear blue irises._

_Rosalie smiled, wickedly, and it deteriorated every sense in Natsuki's body. She kissed Natsuki again, and Natsuki tried to push Rosalie off but it was like her hands went right through that blonde. There was nothing she could grab a hold of—Rosalie's body was ghostly, fading in and out, unlike the girl's mouth, which felt undoubtedly real._

_Natsuki surrendered, falling and soon drowning in Rosalie's kiss and hands until a voice in her head was like booming inside her brain, awaking her from her stupor._

_"NO!" Natsuki pushed at the offending hands away with the remaining strength she had and she heard a surprised yelp from the other girl. Finally gaining her full consciousness, Natsuki jumped off the bed and glared at the dumbfounded blonde on the floor. _

_"What the fuck are you doing!?"_

_Rosalie was stumbled for words—fear and guilt were apparent on her face. Natsuki glared at her menacingly as she stumped her way out the room, slamming the door hard._

* * *

><p><strong><em>12.45 a.m<em>**

_"You should just kick Haruka out if she tried to tease you again!"_

_Natsuki laughed, "Yeah, maybe I would. Thanks for letting me sleep in your room, Laura."_

_A tall, tanned girl with short, spiky hair waved her hand,_

_"No problem, Natsuki. You're always welcome, you know? We haven't done much of our project together lately. I miss mashing up awesome beats with you..."_

_"We're in our third year now, Laura... I can't mess up this year or I might have to repeat the whole semester all over again." Natsuki shrugged apologetically._

_Laura laughed, "Yeah, same here. But you're going to face the worst in the next two years for taking double degrees."_

_Natsuki smirked warily, massaging her temple to ease the pain, "Please stop reminding me that..."_

_Laura chuckled, shaking her head and she picked up a pillow, tossing it at Natsuki, "You look awful. You seriously need some sleep."_

_Like being rewarded with a heavenly blessing, Natsuki hugged the pillow tightly with a huge grin on her face, "Oh god, thank you, Laura!" she said, lying down on Laura's bed, "What about you?"_

_"I spend most of the night on this chair anyway, and here!" Laura took a MP3 player and she handed it over to Natsuki. Natsuki stared at the electronic gadget with a mild confusion._

_"What is this?"_

_"My new remix—purposely made for a certain situation when I'm in need of some peace during sleep." Laura grinned._

_Natsuki beamed brightly as she just couldn't wait any longer; she plugged in the earphones and she lay down comfortably. It took only a matter of second when Laura noticed Natsuki's breaths slowly even out and quiet._

_"That's a record... She must be really tired." Laura smiled and she turned to face at her laptop again._

* * *

><p><strong><em>The next morning.<em>**

_"You what!?"_

_Haruka flinched slightly at the uncharacteristically loud voice came from her raven haired friend. She could see that Natsuki was holding up her anger—her fists were tightened, her jaw clenched and of course those emerald eyes were like shooting invisible icy daggers towards her. Haruka swallowed painfully, her brain tried to work on excuses so she could escape Natsuki's upcoming fury._

_"It's a limited edition!"_

_"And you were doing all those crap last night so you could kick me out the room and Rosalie could have me sleep in her room instead!?" Natsuki marched forward and Haruka cowered at the corner, putting up a pillow in front of her as an effort of defense against Natsuki's wrath._

_Haruka blinked a few times—her violet eyes gave a quick once-over around the room, looking for possibilities to escape when Natsuki got into her rampage mode._

_"It's a limited edition…" Haruka's voice lowered into a whisper and she hung her head low—could no longer look at Natsuki's eyes._

_Natsuki took a deep breath. She turned to look at the cutout standee which stood right beside Haruka's desk. It was a human-size cutout of Mariah Carey, posing provocatively in a short, tight black dress with the minimal amount of fabric to cover her breasts. _

_Natsuki quickly burst into giggle. She just could no longer be angry when Haruka was pretty much apologizing like a small kid after being caught stealing cookies, "Seriously… Just for the sake of that freaking thing and you sacrificed me to Rosalie!?"_

_Haruka just managed a grin as she lowered the pillow, "It's a limited edition, Natsuki... Besides, Rosalie begged me so that she could have some time with you…"_

_Natsuki scratched her head as she walked towards her bed and flopped down, sighing afterwards, "I don't like her."_

"_She's really into you…" Haruka pulled her study chair and dragged it in front of Natsuki before sitting on it, "Why don't you give her a chance?"_

_Natsuki gave off a smirk, "Is she THAT desperate she needed to bribe you with Mariah Carey cutout?"_

"_I bet she is…" Haruka chuckled, "And you're playing so hard to get. What do you expect her to do?"_

_Natsuki shrugged, "Do like a civilized person would do. Ask me out or something and not trying to rape me!"_

_Haruka's eyes were almost bulged out of the sockets, "She what!?"_

"_Don't worry. I'm still a virgin. But last night, when I was at her dorm and sleeping in her roommate's bed, her hands were everywhere! It was this close! THIS close to my forbidden city but I quickly pushed her away! It seemed like she was going to rape me!" Natsuki shook her head dejectedly. _

_Haruka let out a sigh of relief, "I'm sorry... Maybe I did go too far this time…"_

_Natsuki chuckled, "Why do you need to apologize anyway? It's not your fault that you were blinded with Mariah Carey's boobs. Besides, I'm not interested in Rosalie and never will…"_

_Haruka's brows twitched slightly upon hearing the statement and she instantly yelled, "Again!?"_

_Natsuki nonchalantly shrugged._

"_Come on! Seriously, you need a love life!" said Haruka, hands flailing dramatically._

"_Relax… My life works just fine… I don't need love to make it better!" Natsuki scoffed._

"_Who are you trying to convince here?" Haruka countered with a grave tone in her voice. Natsuki was stunned. _

_Haruka dropped her arms on her sides, throwing her head back and sighed heavily,_

_"You are not fine, Natsuki… I know you're definitely not fine when you've been going to all classes, making yourself busy with every coursework and your part-time job to the point you barely have any rest at all. The last time you were being like this was on—"_

_Haruka paused momentarily and as if she had recalled something, she spun around, taking a quick glance at the calendar which hung on the wall near her desk. When she saw the date, she sighed and shot a dejected look at Natsuki. _

"_Is her birthday tomorrow?"_

_Natsuki curved up a weak smile and nodded, "Yeah…"_

_Haruka stared at Natsuki as the younger girl buried her face into her palms and sighed again. Silence claimed the surrounding around them as they just stayed there wordlessly. _

"_I'll get over her, I promise…" Natsuki muttered under her breath as she fixated her gaze on the floor, avoiding Haruka's inquiring stare. _

"_You've been saying that for the past two years. I'll be graduating soon, Natsuki... I don't know what would happen to you when I'm no longer here..." Haruka threw her sight outside the window, quietly listening to the soft chirping sound. _

_Natsuki let out a chuckle, "You're talking like I'm incapable of taking care of myself..."_

_Haruka curved up a smile, "Just promise me one thing..."_

_Natsuki instantly titled her head up, finding Haruka's violet orbs staring back into hers._

"_Yeah?"_

"_Don't put this too hard on yourself when I'm not here…"_

_Haruka knew all too well when Natsuki gave a nod, smiling widely as she replied—_

"_I promise."_

—_that Natsuki would break her promise all over again._

* * *

><p>He stood there quietly, watching the other man behind the mahogany desk, silently flipping through pages of reports he had brought for him earlier. His fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly as it slowly getting sweaty. His lips were trembling—he suddenly felt sick. He felt like something was gurgling in the pit of his stomach and it almost made him puke in his mouth.<p>

"So, you're saying…?" Keisuke arched one brow but his eyes were still on the reports.

Reito took a short, quick breath, "I was wondering why you didn't take any action about that..."

Keisuke's golden orbs flicked dangerously from reading the report to the fidgeting man before him, "What kind of action do you expect me to commence?"

Reito swallowed a lump inside his throat before he went further with his words, "She's working with other company, taking away the tender you had worked for all these years. Don't you think that is something we need to take care about?"

Keisuke chuckled lightly, shaking his head at Reito's statement as he slapped the ring file closed, "Actually, Natsuki came to see me, asking for my permission to work for Armitage Tech."

Reito's jaw went slacked, "What? You already knew about that?"

"Yes, I do." Keisuke stated it firmly.

Reito clenched his fists again, feeling disturbed with Keisuke's nonchalant response,

"And why didn't _you_ do anything about it!?"

Keisuke stayed there quietly—he didn't answer it right away as he spun the chair around, facing the window,

"Want me to remind you again who is supposed to be in charge in this company?"

"Though technically I'm the one running the company, it is still yours!"

Keisuke abruptly turned, slapping his wide palm against the table. A loud bang echoed across the room and Reito was completely startled.

"Is it _mine _now!? When you got all the money from the business, I wonder where it went!? Wasn't I supposed to have my share, _oh wait?_ Since it is mine, I AM supposed to have every single yen this company earns. I still haven't got any!" Keisuke uttered between his gritted teeth—his golden eyes stared menacingly at Reito.

There was silence in that room as Reito just stood on his spot, barely budged as he lowered his head, no longer had gut to face Keisuke.

"I entrusted you to take care of this company so you could learn and gain more experience in the business world. You have Shizuru to help you out and yet you're not giving your best. I was expecting you to do better. Keep coming back to me when there's a problem. And you couldn't even handle your sister! How do you expect me to entrust you with all of my business?" Keisuke spoke under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the young man before him.

Reito's mouth was sealed as he lowered his gaze, staring at the mahogany desk. They stayed quiet for the next few second until the soft creaking sound of Keisuke's chair echoed across the room.

"You're coming with me to Germany tomorrow."

Keisuke sat on his chair again, opening the ring file to continue reading the report and he didn't even let Reito to say anything—he just added, "It's an order. Pack your bags and we'll be off by afternoon right after lunch."

Reito pursed his lips tightly, balling his fists—his knuckles turned white.

"Yes, father."

* * *

><p>"Oh yeah? <em>Really?<em> What are you going to do about it?"

"The real question is not what am I going to do about it, but what are _YOU _going to do when I stab your eyes with this chocolate Pocky stick?"

Haruka bolted up from her chair, pulling at her hair in frustration, "God! Why are you so defensive!?"

Natsuki smirked slightly as she pulled out another piece of chocolate stick and she put it into her mouth, "And why are you so freaking persistent?"

"I'm pushing this because it's for our own good!" Haruka jabbed at the papers scattered on the table.

"I'm declining it because you tend to make a decision without even thinking! I am the project analyst! Not the other way round!" Natsuki countered rapidly, prodding at the papers, pointing at the flaws on the reports she stated earlier.

Their yelling could be heard all the way across the office. It was a customary routine and the staffs were getting used to it. Almost every day they would argue and yell at each other. If they didn't, there must be something insanely wrong between them.

"_Whaaat? _I'm your boss, godfreakingdammit!"

"_Whaaat?_ Uh, sorry! I can't hear you over the sound of my double degree in Business Administration & Industrial Technology Engineering!"

Haruka frowned angrily—chest heaved and nose flared as she started to calm, "If I weren't so scared of you stabbing me in the eye with your Pocky stick, I would so kick your ass right now!"

Natsuki chuckled as she flopped on her seat, "Come at me, bro and I'll kick you so hard your mother's mother will feel it!"

"Try it on my limited edition Mariah Carey actual size cut-out standee and I'll kick you so hard, your bike will flatten its tires!"

Natsuki's brows twitched in confusion, "That doesn't even make any sense! Your argument is invalid!"

"You are invalid!"

"Mariah Carey sucks!"

"_Oh no you didn't just say that!_"

"Oh hey, it's lunch hour. Let's have some sandwiches today."

The sudden switch from crazy yelling to an ordinary conversation was normal. Only for them.

Haruka quickly looked at her watch, it was indeed 1.05 in the afternoon and she didn't realize it, "No. Not sandwiches..."

Natsuki stood up from her chair as she helped Haruka to collect the scattering papers on the table, "Oh? What do you want to eat then?"

Haruka scratched her chin slightly, "I got this place—it's a hotel actually. Some of my clients said the food there is great. Why don't we go get some?"

"I'm expecting a full course meal, boss." Natsuki gave off a Cheshire grin as she stacked the papers neatly.

"And you will be paying for yourself!" It was Haruka's turn to grin as she walked towards the door, flinging her suit over her shoulder.

"Okay, just wait for my resignation letter on your desk tomorrow morning. No, later _this_ afternoon—"

It definitely had caught Haruka's attention as she instantly turned around and waved her hands in defeat, "Alright-alright! It's on me, damn it!"

Natsuki wiggled her eyebrows as she walked past the enraged blonde, "Thank you, Haruka-_oneesama_..."

Haruka's angry vein instantly popped on her forehead, "Call me that again and I swear—"

* * *

><p>"Germany?" Her hands stalled at her writing—eyes widened slightly at the unexpected news. Tilting her head up, she saw Reito sighed for the umpteenth times ever since they stepped into that café. "Why Germany?"<p>

Reito smoothed his hair with his right hand, "My father asked me to accompany him for some business meetings there..."

Shizuru kept quiet momentarily and she nodded, "How long?"

"Maybe for a couple of days... Maybe more..." Reito took a sip of his tea and he slowly smirked, "Are you going to miss me?"

Shizuru's response was instant—she snorted softly but quickly covered her mouth and she giggled instead, "Don't worry. I'll manage."

Reito frowned, "I was expecting for a different answer..." he pouted as he rested his chin on his palm, facing away from the brunette.

_Ara... he's sulking... _Shizuru chuckled again as she put away her pen, "I'll help you with your packing, how about that?"

Reito's eyes brightened almost instantly, "Yeah!"

* * *

><p>"What the hell!?"<p>

Haruka hands which were holding on the fork and knife froze midair when she heard the sudden outburst, "What the hell _what_?"

Natsuki was frowning as she used her knife, pointing at her plate.

"Is there something wrong?" Haruka narrowed her violet eyes curiously, staring at the plate. The platter looked incredibly appetizing—a nice juicy _steak_ with a big heap of potatoes; garnished with grilled vegetables and topped with mayonnaise dressing. Haruka blinked a couple of times, feeling somewhat confused when she didn't find anything bizarre on that plate other that the scrumptious looking steak.

"What is it!?" Haruka snapped her head back to Natsuki, glaring at the bluenette's angry face.

"It's not enough..." Natsuki hissed, gripping on her knife as if intended to kill someone.

Haruka arched one brow in confusion, "What's not enough?"

Natsuki pointed at her plate again, specifically on the white sauce smeared on her steak, "Mayo... It's not enough..."

Haruka instantly slapped her forehead, "Just eat it! How much mayo do you want?! It's freaking a lot already!"

Natsuki frowned again, "Are you kidding me!? This is preposterous! In the menu, it's said that this food will be served with mayo dressing. This isn't dressing! The chef is so freaking stingy with mayo! I want them to put more in it!"

Haruka buried her face in her palms, sighing heavily. She just couldn't argue with Natsuki when it comes to mayonnaise. Natsuki might be a grown-up now but if she didn't get her regular intake of mayonnaise, she would become like a 5-years old brat and Haruka had experienced the wrath firsthand.

"You're seriously embarrassing me!" Haruka scowled as she waved at the waitress, "Excuse me. Could you please take this back?"

The young waitress looked a bit taken aback with Haruka's request, "I'm sorry. Is there anything wrong with your dish, ma'am?"

"Apparently yes. My stupid friend here insisted that your chef is so stingy with her mayo dressing—"

"—and just bring out a bottle of mayo for me, thanks!" Natsuki quickly added, looking grudgingly at Haruka while the latter just rolled her eyes.

The waitress was confused momentarily but she took the plate nonetheless, quietly walking towards the kitchen.

"You certainly are going to get a cardiac arrest with such amount of mayo you've been devouring all these years, Kuga!" Haruka flailed her fork as she munched on her lunch.

Natsuki scoffed, shaking her head slightly, "Right. 25 years and I'm still alive. I've been constantly exercising and I'm sure it won't affect my health that much—"

"—but eating mayo to such extent is still considered unhealthy, you know?"

Both Haruka and Natsuki abruptly turned around to the sudden voice which coming from behind them.

_What the— _Natsuki's eyes widened just in a speed of light at the sight of a very unexpected person, standing there and smiling at her. She abruptly bolted up from her seat. Her chair fell backwards due to her urgency, hitting the floor with a loud knock.

Suddenly she felt the air slowly constricted around her. She tried to say something but it felt like a huge lump was stuck inside her throat—she just stared at the other woman; wide eyes and mouth slightly gaping.

"I knew it was you," The other woman just chuckled as she walked over and placed Natsuki's plate on the table, "I was wondering who this person is, returning the plate because there wasn't enough mayonnaise in her food," she said as she put a bottle of mayonnaise right next to the plate.

"Y-you're the chef?"

The orange haired woman gave a slow smile as she clasped her hands at the front, bowing her head slightly.

"Let me introduce myself... My name is Tokiha Mai. The Executive Chef of Windbloom Regency Hotel!"

* * *

><p>Mai placed down the glass atop the table; eyes fixated at the squirming bluenette who was sitting right across the table. Natsuki was trying her best to avoid eye-contact with her and it had been approximately two minutes—staring at her plate quietly. An amused smile adorned Mai's lips; she slightly shook her head as she chuckled.<p>

"How are you? It's been a while, isn't it?"

Natsuki tilted her head up, meeting up with Mai's intense gaze. She suddenly felt a painful twinge inside her stomach. _Those eyes…_ "Y-yeah…" _Sure did bring a lot of memories…_

As perceptive as she always was, Mai caught Natsuki's stare and it gave a sharp pang deep inside her chest. She knew exactly what it meant and Mai decided to put it aside. Finally meeting her best friend after all these years was the only thing that mattered right now.

"Aren't you supposed to say, 'I've missed you a lot, Mai!' instead of 'Yeah'?" Mai giggled when she saw Natsuki shot an angry glare at her.

"Ehem~!"

Both Natsuki and Mai instantly turned at the soft cough and they saw Haruka smirking. Feeling like being knocked on her head, Natsuki quickly reached for Haruka and she patted at the blonde's shoulder.

"Uh, sorry. Mai! This is my friend, Haruka."

Haruka offered her right hand and she smiled knowingly, "Suzushiro Haruka. It's nice to _finally _meet you." Haruka purposely emphasized her tone, ignoring Natsuki's annoyed stare.

Mai gave a short bow and quickly shook Haruka's hand as she smiled brightly, "Oh, it's nice to meet you too, Suzushiro-san. I believe Natsuki did talk about me to you. I hope they're all the good ones."

"Oh, don't worry. They are all good ones!" Haruka grinned wider, "And there are some even _better_…"

The carefully nuanced words never went unnoticed; Mai gave off a chuckle, "I'm glad."

_That grin... Damn you Suzushiro... _Natsuki could see what Haruka was trying to pull and she definitely wasn't going to let it happened.

"Say Haruka... Didn't you say that you want to go somewhere?" Natsuki gave Haruka a look which pretty much spoke: 'Would you please leave me alone with Mai for a moment?'

It was a rare chance for her to tease Natsuki and Haruka just couldn't let it slipped away, "Nope. I didn't say that—"

Natsuki swung her leg and kicked Haruka on her right shin. Surprisingly to her, Haruka didn't even budge or flinch but she just gave off a mischievous smirk, wiggling her eyebrows and it fuelled more anger in Natsuki.

Mai who had been watching quietly pursing her lips, trying to avoid her giggle from slipping out, "Um, actually I can't be much longer outside. I have to get back to the kitchen." Mai slowly stood up from her chair.

Natsuki snapped her head back and stared at Mai, "O-oh, really? O-okay! I'm sorry that we took much of your time." Natsuki curved up an apologetic smile as she bowed sheepishly.

"No, don't worry about it. I'm glad you did…" Mai smiled softly, "I'm glad to be able to see you again…"

It made Natsuki tongue-tied for a moment and she quickly averted her eyes, rubbing at her neck awkwardly, feeling a good amount of warmth slowly making its way towards her face, "M-me too."

Mai took a quick glance at the kitchen and she turned to face Natsuki with a wide, bright smile, "My shift will end around 8.00. Would you like to go out for a drink tonight? It's been a long time, I'm sure we got a lot to catch up!"

"Definitely! I'll be here!" Natsuki quickly nodded her head, trying not to sound too eager.

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you." Mai let out a sigh—more like a relief sigh and she waved at Haruka before she jogged back into the kitchen, "See you again, Suzushiro-san."

As the sight of Mai disappeared behind the kitchen door, Natsuki flopped on her chair, putting face in her palms as she sighed heavily. They quickly fell into silence.

Haruka managed a short glance at her raven haired friend and she slowly continued with her lunch, "So... that's Mai…"

Still with her face in her palms, Natsuki replied with muffled voice, "Yeah."

"She's _that_ 'Tokiha Mai' you've told me about..." Haruka added, munching on her salad.

"Yup. That's her." Natsuki took a deep breath, shrugging as she rested her back against the chair. She knew she had to control herself but she found the kitchen door was very much interesting that she had to stare at it for the next few minutes—silently hoping that Mai would walk out the door again some time.

"Now I'm starting to understand the reason behind the whole story you've told me and how she got you hooked!"

Natsuki instantly snapped her head back to Haruka, "What? Really? You do?"

Haruka nodded a couple of times as she leaned forward, "Her breasts—are really something."

"Oh my god…"

* * *

><p>She came early. 7.30 pm—another 30 minutes to go.<p>

She sat there, at the same table, facing at the kitchen door. Few people went in and out—not the one she wanted to see the most.

_She's busy…_

Natsuki looked around the restaurant; it was almost full. A small smile slowly appeared.

_Seriously, with this kind of cooking, you're going to be one hell of a chef!_

She said those words long time ago. Never thought it would become reality.

"The executive chef of this _freaking_ prestigious hotel? One hell of a chef indeed…" Natsuki chuckled.

"Oh, yes I am…"

Natsuki snapped her head up upon hearing that voice—the soft, melodic voice and saw Mai, grinning down at her. She was in her casual; soft orange shirt and a pair of light blue jeans.

"Eh? You're done?" Natsuki took a quick glance at her watch—7.45 pm, still early.

Mai giggled, "Yea… I've pretty much done with everything and my friends saw you waiting so they decided to let me off early."

"Oh, that's very nice of them." Natsuki raised her brows in surprise.

Mai suddenly leaned closer as she whispered, "And maybe you should come over more often. I finally have an excuse to skip out my shift early…"

_Come here more often? _Natsuki quickly smiled, "Sure, I will!"

Mai beamed so brightly—literally smiling from ear to ear, "Thank you!"

It was brief and Natsuki noticed that flicker in those violet eyes. _Is that..?_

Mai saw Natsuki was staring, "Is there something wrong, Natsuki?"

Too early for a wishful thinking, she thought and Natsuki mentally shook her head. _Maybe I was just seeing things…_

"Nothing. Shall we go?"

* * *

><p>7 years sure did change a person, especially in the physical sense.<p>

Mai stared at Natsuki's back and down to her pair of legs, raking at its endowed feature. Natsuki had a figure of an athlete—toned arms and wide shoulders yet lithe and beautiful. She loved how the leather would fit around Natsuki so effortlessly like skin. Natsuki indeed had gotten taller since the last time she saw her. They used to be around the same height but now she had to tilt her head up slightly whenever they were talking.

"You're fine with anything, right?" Natsuki beamed at Mai as they stopped at the pavement.

Mai raised an eyebrow at Natsuki's question, feeling somewhat confused for her wasn't really listening to whatever her friend had said earlier, "Um, what?"

"Remember Takeda?"

Mai blinked a couple of times and an image of a spiky haired boy holding up a bamboo sword flashed inside her mind, "Yes but I haven't met him for a long time… How is he doing?"

"He's a lawyer now..." Natsuki tilted her head slightly, gesturing at the small restaurant a few feet away from where they were standing, "And Takeda said that restaurant serves food which is worth to try. Let's see if he is right. If not..."

"If not, we will ask him to pay us back! Plus the interest for us to have to walk all the way here..."

Natsuki quirked an eyebrow, feeling a bit surprised, "You're sure know what I'm thinking, aren't you?"

Mai winked, tapping at her side temple as she giggled, "I'm a mind-reader."

Natsuki instantly rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Yeah right! So guess what I'm thinking right now?"

"Well..." Mai leaned forward, tip-toeing slightly as her eyes were staring into Natsuki's.

Natsuki just couldn't suppress the urge to smile when she saw Mai's face so dangerously close towards hers. Slowly she felt her ears getting hotter and her heart was palpitating. Natsuki didn't even budge; at least she tried not to, when Mai closing in the distance between them and now they were separated by a mere gap.

Mai locked her gaze as her lips slowly curved up a satisfied smirk. Finally gotten enough of what she was trying to achieve, Mai pulled back with a giggle. "I thought you've changed but..."

Natsuki's smile dropped upon hearing the comment, "W-what?"

"You're still so easy to tease!" Mai beamed a wide, toothy grin to Natsuki, whose face had slowly reddened due to Mai's playful remark.

"Shut up!"

* * *

><p>"How's your sister?"<p>

Reito was in the middle of cutting his steak; eyes widened at the question, "Why all of sudden—?"

Shizuru quirked an eyebrow, "I can't ask such question?"

Reito put down his cutlery, "It's not that—" he sighed, "Nevermind."

They went into silence and Reito continued with his dinner. Shizuru quietly sipped on her tea and she placed her cup atop the table, trying to keep silent but her curiosity got the best of her.

"I haven't seen her around lately…"

"And why would you want to see her anyway!?"

The question struck at her chest like a straight pitch. Shizuru was thinking about the same thing too.

"I was just asking. There's no need to be agitated about it…" Shizuru pouted.

Reito saw that pout and he quickly reached for Shizuru's hands, clasping around them with his own, "I'm sorry… I shouldn't snap at you… I was just angry…"

Reito closed his eyes to the pout; it had a history of winning every argument between them and Reito just could not lose this time,

"But you really need to stop mentioning her name every time we meet…"

Shizuru's eyes went up to meet Reito's, looking confused. _Did I really do that? _But instead of asking out loud, Shizuru just remained silent as she withdrew her hands from Reito's grasp.

"I thought I was just being polite, asking for her well being… Besides, she's my future sister-in-law anyway—"

And Shizuru regretted it as soon as those words spilled out her mouth. Her stomach started to hurl at the thought of getting married. _Seriously, Shizuru? You and your mouth! What did you get yourself into…?_

"Future sister-in-law?" Reito's eyes gleamed with anticipation, "Are you really—"

"—Not now. Maybe in the next 1000 years…" Shizuru chuckled.

Reito sighed; his head hung dejectedly at Shizuru's playful remark, "You're so mean…"

* * *

><p>"So this is where you live..." Natsuki gazed up at the luxurious apartment complex, "It's nice."<p>

"It's lonely." Mai chuckled as she handed over the helmet to Natsuki.

"Wait… I thought Takumi is staying with you?"

"Well, he does but he has to stay in the hospital much longer than he stays at home. It gets pretty lonely sometimes."

Natsuki scratched her head, "God... I haven't seen him in ages. I should come to visit more often."

"You should." Mai giggled again, "Anyway, thanks for dinner. I enjoyed it very much."

Natsuki rubbed her neck sheepishly, "Yeah right. I watched you eat, Mai... You had this look on your face throughout the dinner. That food sucks!"

"Yea, it sucks actually. You need to make sure Takeda-san will get an earful next time you meet him!"

They shared laugh.

"By the way, Takumi will be home tomorrow. Why don't you come over for a dinner?" Mai said, taking a step closer towards Natsuki, placing her palm against the cold metallic surface of her bike.

Natsuki smiled, "Sure! I would love to."

Silence claimed the atmosphere around them. They stared into each other's eyes, gazing into its depth. A few moments passed and Natsuki broke the gaze, lowering her eyes as she let out a nervous chuckle.

"I think I should go—"

"—You wanna come upstairs? We can have a cup of coffee..." Mai took another step closer, closing in the distance between them.

They were less than a foot from each other. The close proximity between them made her really nervous. She was always nervous when it comes to her personal space. It didn't matter who the other person was.

Natsuki quickly shook her head, "Maybe tomorrow."

Mai flashed a smile, "Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow."

Natsuki nodded, "Good night, Mai—" she was about to put on her helmet, only to be surprised by a soft pressure against her left cheek. It was slightly cold and a little wet. Later, she felt a warm palm, cupping at the other side of her face, grazing against her skin so gently that Natsuki had to lean against the familiar touch, closing her eyes.

"I missed you."

Mai's warm breath swept at her ear, sending down shivers all over her body.

Natsuki smiled. She had to admit, she missed that touch too, so much even. She unconsciously held her breath.

The kiss on her cheek lingered a little longer than she expected. As Natsuki raised up her hand to place against Mai's, the latter quickly pulled away, beaming ever so brightly at the astonished bluenette. Natsuki widened her eyes slightly at the ecstatic face, somewhat confused when she saw Mai's cheeks were a little darker in shade compared to earlier.

If only she knew that Mai was blushing hotly under the dimmed street lights. Mai quietly felt thankful for that.

"Good night, Natsuki."

"Mai, wait—"

Mai probably had heard Natsuki's call; her smile pretty much said it all but she hastened her steps, pretending to not hearing any as she quickly went pass the main gate.

Natsuki exhaled the breath she held earlier as the sight of her orange-haired friend disappeared within the buildings. She brought up her hand; fingers tentatively touched at the spot where Mai's lips were. She was surprised when she found her fingers were trembling. She curled them into a fist. She sighed.

It had been 7 years and Mai still had the same effect on her. She mentally cursed herself.

_Damn it…_

* * *

><p>"Is that all?"<p>

"Yes and thank you so much, Shizuru… You know how much I hate packing…"

Shizuru chuckled, "Yes I do and I know that you're really bad at it. If I leave you alone doing your own packing, I'm sure you will forget half of your important belongings."

Reito crouched right beside the brunette, "You're the best, you know?"

Shizuru arched one brow, giving a proud smirk, "I know I am…"

While she was in the middle of sorting Reito's clothes into the bag, she felt fingers tentatively touching her arms and slowly moving upwards her shoulders, giving them a slight pressure as if indicating its presence there. Later came a soft, lingering touch at the nape of her neck; she could feel the warm breath against her skin. Shizuru inwardly rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatingly.

"What are you doing, Reito...?" She tried to swat the hands on her shoulders as she continued with the packing. "Please don't. Not with your parents right downstairs..."

Reito was so insistent with his advance, nuzzling his nose into Shizuru's tresses, inhaling the fresh scent from the brunette, leaving him somewhat intoxicated.

"Come on... It's not like they're going to hear us..."

"It doesn't matter if they could hear us or not. We are in your parents' house!"

"They won't come in here..."

Shizuru let out a surprised yelp when Reito grabbed her from behind and pushed her down, successfully pinning her against the carpet.

"Reito!" Shizuru struggled with the strong grasps around her wrists, trying to break free her arms. She glared at the man hovering above her. Her crimson orbs glinted dangerously.

Reito just curved up a playful smirk, unaffected by the glare as he stared down at her with almost feral gaze.

"Stop joking around, Reito!" Shizuru hissed angrily.

"Who said I'm joking…?" Reito whispered, gradually leaning down, still smirking at Shizuru's futile effort to break free from his grasps.

He liked it when he was in control. Especially against the woman who took him years to tame. He almost laughed when he saw Shizuru screwed her eyes shut and clamped her mouth tight. It made him want her even more. He had always been the one waiting. Shizuru had made him wait for so long and now he wanted to claim the amount of patience he had invested all these years, together with the 'interest'.

Trying to break free was proven to be useless by now. She wanted to scream but she really didn't want to cause such drama in that mansion so early in the morning. Not to mention Reito's parents were present in that house. She knew Reito was being playful but it didn't give him permission to get further than what they had agreed to. She knew this moment would come eventually but for him to take an advantage right at the time when she was unprepared, she absolutely despised it.

Shizuru shut her eyes tightly, pursing her lips together when she felt his breath drew nearer. _Please, somebody... Anybody..._ Her fists trembled under his grasps.

Shizuru felt like crying. An image of a person suddenly flashed inside her mind.

"Oh wow, _really_? So early in the morning too?"

They definitely didn't notice when or how Natsuki got into the room, standing at the doorway while holding up a mug; staring down at them with incredulous look on her face.

Right at the moment she heard that voice, Shizuru felt a sudden surge of strength rushing in. She jerked her wrists off Reito's grasps and she pushed him fiercely, he went falling on his back.

"Ouch! What the—" Reito grunted under his breath, somewhat surprised with Shizuru's reaction.

Natsuki realized that Shizuru probably felt embarrassed for being caught in the middle of making out, but such rough retaliation coming from her was something Natsuki didn't expect to see. Her brows twitched slightly when she saw Shizuru wiped her eyes with a finger as she got up to her feet.

_Is she crying?_

"God! What are you even doing here? You don't know how to knock?" Reito groaned in frustration as he glared up at Natsuki with angry eyes.

"I did..." Natsuki lied, "Apparently you were too busy getting yo' freak on with your girlfriend," she quirked an eyebrow as she shifted her gaze at Shizuru, "And Dad called for you earlier. He asked me to come and get you and your girlfriend for breakfast."

Shizuru avoided Natsuki's inquiring stare as she hastily walked past Natsuki.

"I'll be coming down later. I need to use the washroom. Excuse me." Shizuru said to no one in particular and she left.

Silence filled in the room, Natsuki turned to look at the man who was lying on the carpet, "Are you coming or not?"

Reito just waved his hand, dismissing the younger woman. Natsuki scoffed lightly as she walked away, closing the door behind her.

She stood still on that corridor until a distant sound of running water caught her attention. Realizing something, she quickly went into her room. She pulled out the bottom drawer of her dresser, retrieving a clean towel and she went out the room. She hastily walked towards the washroom at the far corner of that corridor and was about to knock when the door swung inwardly.

Shizuru appeared with her face drenched with water. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise when she saw Natsuki standing right outside the washroom.

"Natsuki-san?"

Natsuki held up the towel in her hand, "Here. I notice this washroom is run out of clean towels when I used it earlier this morning. Maybe the maid forgot to replace them."

Shizuru hesitantly took the towel. It was soft and warm against her skin. She tilted her head up to say thank you but Natsuki's stare almost made her choke on her own saliva.

"Did he hurt you or something?"

Shizuru was tongue-tied momentarily as she quickly looked away, "No." Shizuru hesitated before answering, slowly dabbing her face with the towel. "He didn't. He was just joking around..."

Natsuki kept staring at her, looking unconvinced, "But I thought I saw you cry—" Natsuki paused when she saw Shizuru snapped her eyes back and stared intensely into hers.

"I'm fine! Thank you!" Shizuru replied sternly.

_What the— _Natsuki blinked a couple of times at the harsh reply. Sighing, Natsuki shrugged, "Okay, fine. Whatever…" she pivoted her feet and started to walk.

Shizuru's arms dropped to her sides as she took another deep breath, staring at the retreating figure. She couldn't help but noticing Natsuki's hurt expression as she walked away—suddenly she felt a sharp twinge in her stomach.

Natsuki slowly disappeared from her sight and Shizuru shook her head.

_Why did I need to get angry at her anyway…?_

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. I know what you guys think... Pour it all in the reviews okay? *evil laugh*<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Hohoho, I managed to update this fic in less than a month. My new personal record. *happy sobs***

**Happy reading everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sunrise, hence it's a big NO to Mai-Hime**

* * *

><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is…<strong>

**Chapter 7**

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Very."_

_"But I've never heard about this company before."_

_"This company is quite renowned in Europe. They recently opened a branch here in Japan. I don't think it would be much problem for him to agree with my proposition."_

_"...okay. But I want to ask you something."_

_"What is it?"_

_"This isn't personal, is it?"_

_Her lips curved up into a smile. _

_"No. This is totally professional."_

* * *

><p>"I'm here!"<p>

"You're late. I'll cut your allowance by half!"

"Ha! You have no right to do that! I only serve for Suzushiro Haruka—not Kuga Natsuki!"

"—and because of that too, I will cut your entire allowance. How about that, eh?" Haruka arched one brow at Nao's dumbstruck expression.

"Yeah! Nice, Haruka!" Natsuki quickly gave the blonde a 'high-five' and they laughed at Nao's hilarious face.

"Just have a seat, Nao..." Chie chuckled as she pulled Nao's arm so the red head could sit right next to her. Nao was pouting and grumbled in annoyance when she saw Haruka and Natsuki were still laughing before they resumed the meeting again.

After easing up herself from all the laughing, Haruka cleared her throat and stood up from her chair, "Okay everyone... Just want to inform that we're selected for that project!"

"What project?" Nao abruptly interjected, looking confused.

"The one in Kyoto, Nao... Our company's proposal to renovate a hotel there is accepted by its CEO." Chie pushed her glasses slightly as she read on the papers. Nao made a small 'o' with her mouth; finally understood with the whole discussion.

"You mean that Windbloom Regency Hotel?"

"And if we're lucky, we will work for its entire chain in Japan!" Haruka added with a huge grin.

"But something intrigued me though..." Chie added, "From all the most renowned companies in Japan, why us?"

Natsuki bit the inside of her cheek as she tapped the desk softly with her pen; silently contemplating. She turned her head to look at Haruka; the blonde just remained quiet as she folded her arms, resting her back against her chair. Clicking her tongue, Haruka turned to face Natsuki and she leaned closer.

"Are you sure Tokiha got nothing to do with this?" Haruka whispered.

Natsuki frowned slightly, "She's just a chef, Haruka. I don't think she's even involved in this."

"Well, maybe she got a relative there... Maybe her parents were one of the directors?"

"Her parents are dead."

"Oh. I forgot about that one."

Natsuki chuckled at Haruka's flustered face, "Anyway, I can assure you that Mai is definitely got nothing to do with this. But if she did, isn't it like a bonus to us?"

"OKAY! I heard something about bonus! What is it!? Stop whispering to each other and spill!" Nao suddenly appeared behind them with a sneaky grin on her lips—making both Haruka and Natsuki to jump on their seats in pure shock.

"Oh sweet mother of god, Yuuki! You're going to kill me! When did you move from your chair!?" Haruka was panting; grasping on her blouse as she tried to calm her racing heart. Natsuki was too clutching on her chair, breathing heavily.

"Goddammit, Nao... If you do that again, I swear—"

Nao quickly waved her hand, laughing, "Yea-yea... Stop being a scaredy cat, Kuga... And that's a payback for what happened earlier..." Nao winked as she walked back to her chair. Haruka and Natsuki just shot the red head a sharp, angry glare.

"Anyway, is there any information on when the exact date for project execution?" Chie asked, taking off her glasses and placed them on the table.

Haruka took a deep breath, "It is yet to be confirmed but from what we got here in this letter, the exact date will be informed soon. We just need to be ready, okay?"

Chie, Nao and Natsuki gave a quick nod, "Okay boss!"

* * *

><p>"No, Reito. I don't want to talk to you."<p>

_"I was just joking! How many times do I need to say that to you!? You need to chill out, Shizuru! You're not breaking up with me just because of that, are you?"_

"Like I said, I don't want to talk to you. And stop calling me all the way from Berlin. Isn't it expensive to make an international call? You should consider your expenses and stop wasting it for something obviously unnecessary."

_"It is necessary because you're trying to break up with me! I'm not going to let that happen!"_

Shizuru took a deep breath and she sighed heavily, "If you want to talk, we will talk later when you get back to Japan. Talking through phone definitely isn't my liking. Besides, it's not like I'm asking for a break-up. I just want to have a little break from you so I could sort things up for myself."

Shizuru could hear a short intake of breath on the other line; followed with a long sigh. They stayed quiet for a few moments and Shizuru just didn't know what to say anymore. There were fine days when she enjoyed having conversation with Reito. He used to be funny, charming and clever at his words and always cheered her up. But as time went by, the interest was slowly dwindling—she could no longer have the same feeling. Reito was literally ripped it off her after what happened the other day when she was helping him packing.

_"It never was my intention to hurt you like this, Shizuru... I thought I was just being me, fooling around and you would never take me seriously... but I was wrong. If I knew it would hurt you to this extent, I would never had attempted such behavior..."_

Shizuru felt like sneering at Reito's words. She remembered exactly what had happened the other day and _oh_, she could picture it very clearly. If she could project that scene like a projector—the look on Reito's face; it definitely wasn't a joke. She knew exactly what he had in mind and if it wasn't because of Natsuki, she was sure Reito didn't have any slightest intention to stop whatever he intended to do.

"We'll talk later, Reito. I have to go now."

_"We're okay, right? Tell me that we're okay—"_

"We'll talk later! Bye."

And she hung up. A soft sigh escaped her lips as it slowly formed into a small smile. She felt like a huge boulder was lifted off her shoulders—she felt lighter.

She knew it wasn't going to end there. She had to face that man in 3 days time—she was desperately in need of help.

A sudden thought crossed her mind. She just realized the existence of this particular person.

Her hand moved quickly to find her phone again.

* * *

><p>"Aren't you supposed to cook for someone right now?"<p>

_"Yes, but I decided to let __them__ starve for a while..."_

"You're evil."

_"You know me."_

Natsuki chuckled lightly as she slowly got onto her feet and walked towards the glass windows. She stared at the vast view of the city. Her eyes spotted a huge, tall building located about 5 blocks from her office. Her lips curved up a smirk.

"What are you up to tonight?"

_"As much as I want to say I'm free, I got a wedding reception tonight so I'm fully booked..."_

"Aww... I was thinking of taking you out for a movie... No chance to skip away?"

_"There's always a chance but I'm not going to. My boss will slice, sauté and deep fry my butt if I ever did that..."_

Natsuki burst into a loud laugh.

"So I guess it will be just me and the TV tonight..."

_"Don't miss me just yet."_

Natsuki remained speechless momentarily at Mai's playful remark and her hearty giggles. Her lips tugged into a smile. Mai knew too well that she would. She had always been.

She just wished she knew how to do the opposite.

"Yeah right. Stop pushing your luck, Tokiha..."

* * *

><p>"I miss her sometimes, you know?"<p>

"Who? Shizuru-san?"

Reito gave off a short chuckle, "Not her."

Tate rubbed at his scruffy chin, "Wow... I thought you've learnt being faithful when you already have Shizuru-san... Who is it?"

Reito smiled as he threw his sight outside the hotel window. It was past midnight and they were enjoying the night with having a little drink after a small dinner meeting with the representatives from a few European companies.

"You know who she is..."

Tate blinked a couple of times and his mouth slowly formed a small 'o' when he came to his realization, "Oh..."

Reito sighed, placing down his wine glass atop the marble counter and he walked over to the large windows. He stared down at the busy traffic, feeling slightly glum at the thought of being away from home. Moreover, the thought of this one particular person just added up his melancholy and he wondered why he had to recall everything right at that moment.

"I wonder where she is right now..."

* * *

><p>"Natsuki, can I ask you a favor?"<p>

"No mom."

"I'll give you money."

"Okay! What is my mission?"

Saeko instantly sighed at the sight Natsuki's toothy grin when the younger woman abruptly diverting her attention from TV to her at the mention of money.

"So, you see... Reito is out the country, doing some errands with your father."

Natsuki raised her brows, looking somewhat confused, "Okay...?"

"And I've made a plan to have a dinner with Shizuru-chan tonight." Saeko added.

"So?"

"But my friends just called. I was kind of forgotten that the Moms' Club will have a meeting tonight. I'm the president of the club so it wouldn't be nice if I'm absent, right?"

"That's right!" Natsuki snapped her fingers, nodding her head in agreement, "It means that you're being incompetent and sucks big time as the president of the club." Natsuki added, pouting her lips lightly, "And what are you trying to imply here?"

Saeko bit the inside of her left cheek, hands on her waist as she gave Natsuki an annoyed look. Natsuki just giggled.

"You could've just asked that last part. Was saying the other stuff really necessary?" Saeko arched her left brow, staring menacingly at the young bluenette. Natsuki gave off a lopsided grin as she shrugged playfully.

"Anyway, what I've been trying to imply is... I would like you to go to the dinner with Shizuru-chan on my behalf..."

"Nope."

Saeko's brows twitched in the speed of lightning, "What? Why?"

"Because of reasons." Natsuki turned to face the 80" flat screen LED TV in front of her which currently showing a daily news.

Saeko stomped her way towards Natsuki and she snatched the remote controller away from Natsuki's grasp.

"What the heck—_Mom!_" Natsuki snapped instantly at the loss of her electronic controller. Natsuki was about to jump for it when Saeko hold up a hand in front of her, stopping Natsuki's advance.

"Don't even think about it or I _will_ confiscate your freshly repaired bike!"

Natsuki was gaping and clearly she was irritated with Saeko's demand. Instead of retaliating, Natsuki complied—she flopped on the sofa, crossing her arms and grumbled in annoyance.

"Good girl." Saeko couldn't help but to grin at her success, "Back to our discussion earlier, I want you to go a dinner with Shizuru-chan on my behalf!"

Natsuki scowled, "Why should I? Why don't you ask Reito to go instead? She is his girlfriend! Not mine!"

"Because he's 5000 miles away and it will be utterly stupid to ask him to come home just to accompany his girlfriend for a dinner his mother has planned!"

Natsuki raised both her hands, staring at Saeko incredulously, "Just cancel it!"

Saeko sighed for the umpteenth times, "I can't because—"

_Ding dong!_

Both bluenettes turned to look at the front hallway at the sound of the door bell. Saeko's lips curved into a slow, sly smirk and Natsuki knew that her mother was up to no good.

"She's here!" Saeko skipped happily towards the door with Natsuki tailing behind her.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Natsuki droned.

Saeko suddenly turned around, snapping her finger to shut Natsuki up completely, "Natsuki. Behave! I don't want to hear such words in this house again!" Glaring sharply at her daughter, she reached for the knob, "Oh, good evening Shi-chan!"

Natsuki's brows twitched again at the term of endearment Saeko used for Shizuru, "_Shi-chan?_ What the hell!?" she muttered inwardly.

Shizuru was standing at the front porch—dressed up in her casuals; skinny light blue jeans, soft lavender long-sleeve shirt, complimented with a pair of loafer. Chestnut brown hair rested loosely atop her shoulders; simple yet elegant.

"Good evening, Saeko-mama. It's nice to see you!"

"It's nice to see you too, my dear!"

"So, are we ready to go now?" Shizuru asked.

Saeko smiled sheepishly as she clasped her hands together, "Well... about that... Um, actually Shi-chan, there are some changes in our plan..."

Shizuru's brows raised slightly, "Ara? Is there anything? If you want to cancel it, it's fine with me."

"Yeah-yeah, just cancel it—_ouff!"_ Natsuki muttered under her breath but unfortunately, Saeko had a pair of sharp ears. Hence, Natsuki received an elbow on her rib—only then Shizuru realized Natsuki's presence there because the bluenette was standing behind the coat hanger.

_Ara... I didn't notice her earlier..._ Shizuru couldn't help but to curve up a smile at Natsuki's frustrated face.

Natsuki caught the smile—she quickly lowered her face, hiding her upcoming blush from Shizuru's attentive stare. _Dammit... That smile again..._

Saeko quickly waved her hand, pulling away Shizuru's attention from Natsuki, "No-no-no! It's not like that! I'm not going to cancel it because you are already here. It's not my style. Will it be a problem with you if I ask someone else to go with you instead?"

"Urgh... god..."

Shizuru stole a glance at Natsuki and she had to clamp her lips tightly from slipping out a giggle at Natsuki's hilarious expression. Natsuki instantly frowned and rolled her eyes.

"No, not at all..." Shizuru gave a quick reply and she could feel Natsuki's glare was like burning a hole right through her.

"Perfect!" Saeko chimed, "Anyway, this is Natsuki..." she reached for the bluenette and pulled her by shoulders, dragging her so she could stand between them.

"Mommm~!" Natsuki instantly groaned like a zombie but Saeko gave a soft slap at her shoulder, shushing her up.

Shizuru just arched her brows, feeling very much amused by watching Natsuki being toyed by Saeko.

"You two are around the same age, right? So, I don't think there would be a problem to spend some time together!" Saeko beamed cheekily.

"She's older than me, mom… Besides, I never said that I agree to this!" Natsuki snapped.

"Don't worry, Natsuki... It will be fun!" Saeko obviously was ignoring Natsuki's complaint; she pushed the younger woman slightly—Natsuki almost stumbled on her feet.

"So go now kids! I have to get ready for the meeting." And Saeko just walked away like nothing happened—leaving both Natsuki and Shizuru alone at the front porch.

"Wh-what!?" Natsuki was gaping, completely shocked by Saeko's nonchalant behaviour. She turned around, staring at the brunette but Shizuru's response fuelled more frustration in her head.

Shizuru was smiling again, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

Natsuki sighed; already gave up as silence slowly intensified between them. Avoiding Shizuru's eyes, Natsuki snuck her hands in her jeans pockets, staring at her shoes. Suddenly her Converse looked so interesting to her. She could feel Shizuru's gaze on her—it made her feel naked even though she was very much decent. Every time she met Shizuru, that brunette seemed to have that kind of effect on her. She just didn't know why.

Shizuru's lips unconsciously curved up into a wide smile at the cute display before her. Natsuki was kicking at these invisible rocks on the floor as they stood in front of each other, saying absolutely nothing.

Shizuru cleared her throat, "Um... Do you still want to go? I don't mind cancelling the reservation if you have other things to do..."

Natsuki shook her head, "You saw my mom, right? If I asked you to cancel it, she would hunt my ass later."

Shizuru instantly giggled, "Ara, okay then..."

Realizing that she got no other excuse, Natsuki silently complied. It was just a dinner, she thought, and if she was being stubborn, she knew she would have to face an angry Medusa that was her mother tomorrow morning.

Sighing for the umpteenth times that night, Natsuki asked, "So, how are we going to that dinner place?"

Shizuru pouted slightly, thinking, "Do you want to go separately or maybe I could drive us there—"

"Yeah, you drive!"

Shizuru quirked her eyebrows at the instant reply, looking at Natsuki's playful smile as the blunette went back into the house.

"Just a sec! I'll go get my phone and wallet." Natsuki said as she slowly disappeared into the mansion. Few moments later, Natsuki came back with her said belongings together with a pair of crimson Harvard University's pullover hoodie.

_Harvard? Is she a Harvard graduate? _Shizuru's eyes flickered with curiosity and admiration. She always dreamed of studying there—only she never got the chance to.

Without a word, Natsuki hopped down the stairs while putting on the hoodie and walked towards the parked car which she assumed was Shizuru's—a metallic mauve Mini Cooper.

"That is a very sissy car." Natsuki commented with a frown.

"Ara, I never meant to use this car for a race anyway." Shizuru replied with a smile, unlocking the car with her electronic key.

Natsuki didn't retort; she just scoffed as she opened the passenger's door and slid into the car. As she waited for Shizuru, she looked around at the interior. Though she didn't really know about that brunette, she could feel like everything inside that car screamed 'Fujino Shizuru'.

_Refreshing green tea scent? You've got to be kidding me! _Natsuki stared at the dangling car perfume with incredulous look but she quickly straightened herself when Shizuru settled on the driver's seat, smiling at her brightly. Natsuki decided to ignore the smile, turning her head away as she threw her sight outside the window, pulling at the seat belt and buckled it.

Natsuki couldn't help but to wonder if Shizuru ever felt tired with all the smiling.

_Ara... This is going to be a long night... _Shizuru quietly inserted the key to the ignition and she started the engine. Buckling herself securely, Shizuru shifted the gear and was about to drive off when she heard Natsuki's voice.

"Do we really need to go for that dinner? I'm not that hungry though..."

Shizuru shifted the gear back to neutral and she turned to face the bluenette. Natsuki had this look—a grouchy, annoyed look; the one she always wore when she was feeling irritated. Though they were being under a dimmed light, it amazed her how she managed to perceive Natsuki's current mood by just looking at her face. Well, maybe because Natsuki's face was an obvious giveaway and very much honest, so it didn't really take a genius to figure it out. Still, she found Natsuki as a person with so much mystery that needed to be discovered.

_Not to mention she snores while she's sleeping..._

"Oi!"

Shizuru blinked her eyes a couple of times, "Ara, yes?"

"Why are you looking at me like that!?" Natsuki was blushing—unlucky for Shizuru because of the darkness inside her car, she was unable to see Natsuki's face flushing brilliantly.

_Oh my, I did it again, didn't I? _Shizuru quickly shook her head, "I'm sorry! I was just thinking... What was that again?"

Natsuki sighed, "I was asking, do we really need to go for that dinner? I'm not that hungry..."

Shizuru nodded her head slightly, "Me too. Does Natsuki-san have any other plan?"

"I don't know. It's Saturday night. Just plainly wasting it with a crappy dinner..." Natsuki shrugged.

Shizuru instantly chuckled, "It was just a plan between me and Saeko-mama. You are welcome to come out with other things—"

"—Nice. Let's go watch a movie then!"

Though it was brief, Shizuru caught a smile which made her heart skipped—she was momentarily lost. She could feel her heart was beating faster than its normal rate. Pounding hard against her rib cage, threatening to escape.

_It's happening again._

* * *

><p>Shizuru regretted it instantly. She should have known before letting the younger woman to decide. Now she was stuck in that movie theatre, watching a gruesome thriller where a group of college students were being slaughtered by one eerily distorted looking man with a chainsaw. She was sure she would take a whole week to forget the scene where one male student being chopped alive and sliced into pieces—thanks to of her vivid imagination.<p>

A deafening scream startled her and she almost jumped on her seat. She took a glance on her right. Natsuki was munching on her share of popcorn while watching the unspeakable horror displayed on the huge screen like it was a cartoon series. Shizuru frowned inwardly at Natsuki's blank face. _How can she even handle such horror?_

Shizuru turned to face the screen again. Her eyes were squinting every time there were scenes of chasing, slaughtering, and screaming ensued.

_Ara... Why did I even agree to watch this?_

* * *

><p><em><strong>45 minutes earlier.<strong>_

"They're fully booked. We're late." Natsuki scowled at the front counter when the attendant informed the tickets were sold out for that night. She wanted to watch movies ever since she got back only she never had time for it. Besides, she didn't like to watch it alone. Takeda seemed busy with his cases while Haruka was never a fan of movie theater. Haruka hated cramp spaces with a lot of people in it. She would rather buy Blu-ray DVDs and watch them in the comfort of her own house.

Shizuru smiled apologetically, "It can't be helped. It's Saturday night after all."

"Anyway miss..." the attendant suddenly called, "Only for a week, we are doing a celebratory horror and thriller movie nights. We are showing the selected past movies every night and the tickets are still available."

"Really?" Natsuki's eyes brightened at the news and quickly asked, "What is the movie for tonight?"

The attendant smiled again as she checked on a list, "It's _2003's 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Director's Cut'_..."

"Awesome!" Natsuki grinned and quickly called for Shizuru, "Hey, you're okay with it, right?"

Shizuru gave an approval smile as she nodded, unbeknownst to the actual horror awaited in the theater, "I'm fine with whatever you choose, Natsuki-san."

"Okay! I'll take two!"

* * *

><p>Shizuru finally had enough of it. She placed her left elbow against the armrest as she used her palm to cover her eyes while she ducked her head from watching the horror unveiled. Again, she found herself watching Natsuki who was still engrossed with the movie.<p>

Natsuki finally noticed that Shizuru was staring at her; she quickly turned to look. Blinking a couple of times, she held up her bucket of popcorn to the brunette,

"Want some?"

Shizuru sighed at this and she smiled as she shook her head, politely declining the offer, "No, thank you—"

"AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH~!"

An agonizing scream boomed inside the theater, simultaneously causing almost the entire being inside that hall to scream in horror.

Shizuru let out a surprise yelp—unconsciously jumped on her seat and she quickly cowered behind Natsuki's shoulder to cover her face. When the screams slowly subsided, Shizuru hesitantly took a peek at the screen which displayed a scene where the characters were talking to each other. Shizuru finally could breathe at ease but then she heard a soft chuckle on her right. She turned to look—Natsuki was laughing again.

"What?" Shizuru muttered and pouted slightly, feeling slightly embarrassed. While at that, she noticed the placement of her hands which were clutching around Natsuki's left arm desperately. Suddenly she felt awkward, not sure whether to let go or just stay that way.

"You should've told me that you're not a fan of such movies."

"I don't want to disappoint you. You seemed so eager to watch it and I just couldn't say no."

Natsuki shook her head, smiling, "I've had watched this movie trillion times already." Natsuki quietly collected her drinks and popcorn and was about to stand up when Shizuru jerked her left arm,

"Where are you going?"

"Out. Are you planning to stay and watch the rest? I don't mind—"

Quickly picking up her purse and her drinks, Shizuru stood up and hastily excusing herself out the theater without a word. Natsuki blinked her eyes in surprise.

"Okay... That's fast!"

* * *

><p>"I told you that I will get back to you on Monday! It's a freaking Saturday night! Let me have my rest!"<p>

Natsuki's voice was close to yelling. Shizuru just sat there, slowly stirring her tea as she watched Natsuki talking on her phone. She continued stirring; silently staring down at the clear liquid inside her cup, watching her own reflection swirled with the movement of her spoon. She raised her head up when she heard Natsuki pulled at the chair and flopped down with a heavy sigh.

"My boss." Natsuki said as if knowing Shizuru's impending question though Shizuru never had any intention to ask.

Shizuru curved up smile as she nodded, "I see." She decided to leave it at there.

Natsuki took another deep breath, watching Shizuru stirred her tea and it looked untouched, "How's the tea?"

"It's good." Shizuru gave a quick reply and a smile. Natsuki was unconvinced.

"You sure? You can ask them to make a new one though..." Natsuki said, reaching for her own cup—her personal favourite; double-shots caramel macchiato.

Shizuru shook her head and she slowly lifted her cup, bringing it closer to her mouth, "No-no! It's good. I'm just waiting for it to cool down a little bit."

"Okay."

They drowned into silence again. Shizuru was staring at the table while Natsuki looked around the café. The silence was starting to irritate her. If this was all they were going to do the entire night, Shizuru thought it would be the best for her to go back home and sleep.

But she wasn't going to do so—she decided to start a topic.

"What was that?"

Natsuki snapped her head back to look at Shizuru. She arched one eyebrow questioningly, "What?"

Shizuru took another sip of her tea, glancing at the _iPhone 5_ on the table, "Your ringtone."

Natsuki followed Shizuru's gaze, "Oh, it's _Skrillex_."

"Shizuru involuntarily frowned, "Skri—what?"

"Oh my god... Which mountain did you come from? It's dubstep!" Natsuki chuckled, shaking her head.

Shizuru frowned incredulously, "The dirty, rough tunes that sound like a broken, exploding robot or two transformers arguing, that's supposed to be music?"

And Natsuki instantly burst into laugh. Shizuru also chuckled at Natsuki's sudden mirth.

"What is it?"

Natsuki shook her head, slowly calming herself, "You sounded just like her..."

"Ara? Who?"

"My best friend. She said the same thing about this genre of music. She said; it's sounds to me like Optimus Prime is having an angry chit-chat with Megatron though... It's sucks!"

Shizuru chuckled again, nodding her head in approval, "She spoke the truth."

Natsuki giggled slightly as she lifted her cup, "Then I suggest that you two should make friends with each other."

"Ara, it is sounds like a good idea, isn't it?" Shizuru entwined her fingers and she rested her chin atop her knuckles, smiling mischievously.

"Wait till you see her obsession with Mariah Carey!"

"Ara! I love Mariah Carey!"

Natsuki almost choked on her coffee and she burst into laugh again, "And you two should get married then!"

"Hahahaha~ I will consider that thought!"

They shared a hearty laugh.

"Anyway, can I ask you something?"

Natsuki instantly scoffed, "No. And if you're going to ask me about why I keep going against Reito's ass, I'm not going to tell you anything."

Shizuru's brows twitched into a frown, looking slightly offended, "No, I'm not! I was going to ask you where you studied..."

Natsuki was taken aback with Shizuru's response. She felt guilty for jumping into conclusion too quickly, "O-oh... I studied in UK."

"Oh? But that sweater?" Shizuru pointed at the Harvard sweatshirt Natsuki was wearing.

Natsuki peered down, "You mean this? This is Takeda's. He's a good friend of mine. I borrowed this from him." Natsuki grinned, "Well, more like _stole_ it from him."

Shizuru's thought quickly wandered to the moment when she saw Natsuki with a young man at the workshop. He was a fine looking man and she remembered hearing Reito called him Takeda. _A good friend?_ Shizuru stirred at her tea again, feeling slightly bothered. _Or is it a boyfriend?_

"Reito always said that it was Europe..."

"Technically or geographically speaking, UK is part of Europe." Natsuki stated matter-of-factly.

"He could've just said it was UK..."

"Because he's too ignorant to know which part of Europe I was at."

Natsuki's reply cut short the whole conversation and they fell into silence again.

"I really hope you things would get better between you two..." Shizuru spoke with a low voice. Natsuki just scoffed.

"Don't worry. Whatever that is, it won't affect your relationship with Reito. You can go and get married somewhere, make some babies or something. It doesn't concern me."

Maybe Natsuki meant it as a joke or probably she was being serious. Either way, it made Shizuru's stomach churned; this lingering ache in the pit of her stomach when she heard Natsuki said it so nonchalantly. Would she dare to say she was hurt with Natsuki's words?

Shizuru silently took a sip of her tea. The aching feeling was still there. She had to acknowledge it. She was hurt. They went into silence again as two random customers passed by their table and in a moment of closed eyes, Shizuru listened to the coughing, the casual talking, the footsteps of the waiters, the distant sound of passing cars and the characteristic sound of coffee makers that always roamed across the cafe. The silence between them was infuriating and she just unable to take it anymore.

"I saw your book collection."

Shizuru curved up a smile and she mentally let out a relief sigh when she saw Natsuki's eyes brightened at the mention of her book collection.

"You did?"

Shizuru nodded, "They are good picks. Mostly fantasy and adventure..."

Natsuki smiled proudly as she took a sip of her coffee, "Kinda huge fan for that genre—"

"—and _there's_ 50 Shades of Grey."

Natsuki instantly choked on her coffee and she coughed. Shizuru had to cover her mouth as she giggled when she saw Natsuki's cheeks started to flush brightly.

"I'm curious about it, okay!?"

"_Right..._" Shizuru nodded her head to the side, rolling her eyes, looking unconvinced.

Natsuki felt another rush of heat came surging towards her face, "People were talking about how stupid it is and I decided to give it a go. I never know how I managed to get through the ending. I remember while I was reading it, I kept on asking myself; 'What the fuck am I reading?' And when I'm finished, I was like what in the hell just happened? Did I really read that? Oh, my god, I did. I did read that!"

"It's okay, Natsuki! You don't have to explain it to me!" Shizuru continued to giggle.

"But you look like you don't believe me!"

"Yes, I don't."

"_See!?_"

And Shizuru burst into a giggle fit. Natsuki was fuming—she crossed her arms in front of her chest and she turned her face away, sulking.

Thinking it was enough to tease the younger woman, Shizuru took a deep breath and started with another question.

"No wonder I didn't find its other two books."

Natsuki was still looking away from Shizuru as she replied, "I stopped at the first one. Have no intention to continue with the rest of its trilogy. It's a ridiculous read."

"50 Shades of Grey is a pretty naughty book, I must say..."

"Nah... I've read a better smut written by 17 years old kid in some fanfiction websites. Not to mention you can read it for free." Natsuki differed with a snort.

_Ara? She reads smuts!? That's surprising! _Shizuru had to endure with the itch to tease Natsuki again but she decided to leave it for another occasion. "So I'll take that you are not a Twilight Saga fan too?"

"No way in hell."

"It's my guilty pleasure though."

Natsuki frowned with her mouth gaping slightly, "Twilight? Really!? You suck big time already in your attempt to impress your future sister in law, Fujino-san!"

Shizuru shrugged with a grin, "It's romantic!"

Natsuki scowled in disgust, "It's horrible! You want romantic? Grab 'The Notebook'."

"Ara! I never thought Natsuki-san is a fan of romantic novels."

"Despite this rugged and badass exterior, there rest a sensitive soul in here, 'ya know?"

Shizuru instantly grimaced, staring incredulously at the cheeky bluenette, "No, there isn't."

"Yeah, there isn't."

And they fell into laugh again. They were on the third cup of their respective beverage and it was almost midnight—but they didn't seem to stop anytime soon.

"Anyway, it's Shizuru." She said as she took a final sip from her cup.

Natsuki arched one brow, looking confused, "I know your name."

Shizuru's lips tugged into a soft smile, "Of course you do. What I meant is I want you to address me by my first name."

Natsuki looked like she was thinking of something, "Oh, alright. Is Reito going to be okay with it?"

Her stomach instantly churned at the mention of Reito's name, "What does it have anything to do with Reito anyway? It's my name. I'll let people call me whatever I want."

"Oh, okay! Cool!" Natsuki just chuckled, "I think I'm starting to like you."

Shizuru smiled again, "Me too."

* * *

><p>"I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight…"<p>

"What? Why?"

Shizuru stuck three fingers out as she giggled, "3 cups of green tea in one night. My new personal record."

Natsuki chuckled as she pulled off the seat belt, "Well, at least it will help you with your constipation…"

Shizuru's eyes widened and her mouth gaped slightly, "I don't have constipation problem!"

"You seem like it since you've been drinking it like plain water!"

Shizuru pulled back her head, chuckling at Natsuki's playful look, "Ara, look who's talking? Natsuki and her 3 cups of coffee! Good luck with trying to sleep tonight…"

Natsuki just smirked, "Well, I have this awesome ability where I can turn on my sleep mode whenever I want." Natsuki opened the door, stepping out the car, "Anyway, good night! Thanks for the ride" She bid with a chuckle.

"Good night, Natsuki." Shizuru shook her head, laughing. She watched Natsuki slowly walked towards the front door. Locking her car, Shizuru pulled at the gear knob, shifting it from 'P' to 'D' but then she heard soft knocks on her window.

Quickly rolling down the window, she found Natsuki stood right outside the car, grinning.

"What is it, Natsuki? Is there something?"

Natsuki tucked her hands into her pockets, "It's really late... Why don't you stay for a night?"

Shizuru quickly turned to look at the digital clock on the dashboard; it was 1.05 in the morning.

"Ara... It's okay, Natsuki... My apartment isn't far from here and I don't want to bother you and Saeko-mama..."

"Come on. I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind. You are her future daughter-in-law after all. Besides, you're the one who paid for our drinks and snacks earlier. I'm just being polite." Natsuki shrugged, "And I'm thinking of this place for breakfast tomorrow morning. I would like you to join me and my mom. It's my treat! You don't have to drive here again tomorrow, right?" Natsuki quirked an eyebrow, smiling.

Shizuru blinked her eyes a few times, hesitating, "But—"

"—I'll take that as a yes!" Natsuki suddenly leaned closer as she slid her right arm to grab at the car key, turning the engine off and grinned at Shizuru's astonished face, "I'll prepare a room for you. You are definitely not going to have my room this time!" she said, twirling the keys on her index finger.

Shizuru quickly giggled and she shook her head in disbelieve at Natsuki's childlike behavior. She finally complied with Natsuki's request, "But I don't bring any extra clothes with me." She stepped out the car, claiming back her key from Natsuki with a playful snatch, earning a wide grin from the bluenette.

"You are just as the same size as me. I don't think it would be much problem."

After securing her car, Shizuru let out a satisfied sigh and she turned to look at Natsuki again, "Um, what about the undergarment?"

A slow, charming smirk slowly bloomed on Natsuki's lips.

"I have plenty."

* * *

><p>Shizuru was unaware of the existence of a walk-in wardrobe when she spent a night in that room the other day. The door which led into the wardrobe was actually covered by a 6-foot-high by 3-foot-wide custom made poster which she assumed from a game series. Just a simple push, the door pulled back, revealing a spacious room inside.<p>

Shizuru just didn't know what to think when she stepped into that walk-in wardrobe. Almost 3/4 of its space was lined up by this type of garment which she didn't expect to see from a woman like Natsuki.

_Ara… What is this? Did I just step into a lingerie store?_ Shizuru was uncharacteristically gaping.

When Natsuki said she had plenty of undergarments, she meant it _PLENTY_. Shizuru gawked at the collection and she just wasn't sure whether to amaze or laugh at the sight of lingerie in different colors, designs and styles.

"Not a word about it—"

"Ara? You're collecting it?"

Natsuki growled in frustration, "Urgh! Shut up! Just take whatever you want!"

Shizuru blinked in surprise, "Whatever I want? You mean any of these?" her finger pointed at the lines of lingerie.

Natsuki scowled as she crossed her arms, leaning against the door panel, speaking with a low, threatening voice, "I'm giving you the privilege to choose and if you start with another question again—"

"—how long have you been collecting this... _stuff_?" Shizuru just couldn't stop herself.

"Alright then, good luck sleeping with your dirty underwear! OUT~!"

Natsuki reached for Shizuru's arm to pull her out but the brunette was faster; she leaped away from Natsuki's reach and she giggled,

"Ara! Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Shizuru laughed heartily. "I'll take this one." She picked a pair of light purple underwear. "So, how am I going to return this to you later?"

Natsuki instantly frowned, "What? Why would I want it back after you have worn it?"

Shizuru grinned, "Of course I'll wash it."

Natsuki cringed, "Eww... No! You just keep it! I'm not a creepy old man who went after some used panties..."

Shizuru just couldn't let her chance to tease Natsuki slipped away, "Ara... I thought you are with all these collections... I never thought Natsuki is such a pervert... No wonder she's been reading smut fanfiction and 50 Shades of Grey—"

"NOOOO! Oh my god! Now I regret it for inviting you tonight! Urgh! Just be quick with your changing! Call me when you are done. I'll be waiting downstairs!" Natsuki was pulling at her hair in frustration while Shizuru just laughed.

"Ara! You don't have to leave. Aren't you supposed to change too?" Shizuru quickly caught Natsuki's arm before she could step out the door.

"Y-yes… But I'm not comfortable seeing other people changing clothes." Natsuki blushed.

Shizuru blinked again, feeling somewhat confused, "We're both girls..."

"It's decency among others and I call it to respect one's personal space. So, whatever!" Natsuki hastily scampered out the room, closing the door, leaving the startled brunette alone in that room.

"Ara…?"

* * *

><p>Shizuru had done changing and walked down the stairs to find Natsuki. The other girl was in the TV room, sprawling on the sofa bed, randomly switching channels.<p>

"What are you watching?"

"I don't know... Still can't find a good channel..."

Shizuru giggled softly, "It's midnight, Natsuki. Most people are gone to sleep already."

"But I'm not sleepy yet!"

Shizuru chuckled and flopped herself on the sofa right next to the bluenette. Natsuki arched one brow questioningly.

"Aren't you supposed to go to sleep?"

"But I'm not sleepy yet!"

Natsuki rolled her eyes, "Urgh, fine!"

For the next few minutes, Natsuki kept switching the channel and Shizuru almost lost at it.

"Natsuki... Stop switching the channels.. It's making me dizzy..."

"Deal with it."

Shizuru suddenly snatched the remote away and she switched the TV to a news channel.

"What the—Shizuru! Who the hell want to watch a freaking weather forecast so late at night!?"

"Me."

The answer was short but it certainly had caused a certain raven haired woman _THIS_ close to burst into a human volcano.

"Gimme back the controller!" Natsuki tried to reclaim the controller but Shizuru's swiftness was something she shouldn't take too lightly. In a flash, the controller was switched from her right hand to the left and it was beyond Natsuki's reach.

Shizuru arched one brow at Natsuki's exasperated face; finger pressing at the button to change the channel again.

"Ara~ There's a horror flick! Ju-On! Let's watch it!"

"Noooooo! Not Ju-On!"

Shizuru stared at Natsuki in disbelieve. Natsuki was blushing heavily.

"Don't tell me that you're scared of watching horror movie?"

Natsuki crossed her arms defensively, "I am not scared!"

Shizuru went into giggle fit, "You're okay with inbred, disfigured, chainsaw-wielding psychopath with all those violent and gory scenes but you can't stand a ghost?"

"Like you're not afraid of ghost!?" Natsuki retorted, frowning angrily.

Shizuru took a deep breath to ease her laughing, "I didn't say I'm not afraid of it but it's just a movie..."

"Fine!" Natsuki suddenly hopped off the sofa bed and stumped her way toward the door, "If you want to watch it so much, just watch it by yourself—"

Natsuki was about to slide the door open when she heard a distant sound of approaching footsteps. _Wait. Isn't that—_

From the sound of it, Natsuki could definitely distinguish whose it belonged to.

"Shit! My mom's coming! Quick! Lie down and just pretend to sleep!"

"What—!?"

Shizuru was unable to finish her question when Natsuki literally dived and pulled her roughly to lie flat on that sofa bed.

"Natsuki! What are we doing—"

"Shhhhhhhh!"

Just as Natsuki had said, the footsteps stopped right outside the sliding door and Shizuru felt like she was waiting for a death sentence. Her heart was beating rapidly as she just stayed frozen, listening to the soft grumble before the door was being slid open. Both Natsuki and Shizuru quickly shut their eyes closed and they kept still, pretending to sleep.

"These girls... watching TV so late at night and forget to switch it off..." Saeko mumbled with a mild annoyance in her voice as she made her way towards the sofa bed.

Shizuru's fingers flinched slightly when she felt Saeko tugged at the controller in her left hand but she quickly loosened her grip; her eyes were closed but she started to feel a little anxious—she wanted to laugh. She had to press her lips tightly to avoid her giggle from slipping out.

"Should I wake them up?" Saeko contemplated as she looked at the sight of two young women sleeping peacefully on the sofa bed. She just let out a chuckle and she shook her head. "Maybe not..." she quietly lighted up the room with a soft orange glow and walked out the room, closing the door with a soft thud.

Shizuru focused on her hearing as she listened to the footsteps slowly gotten further and further away. She cracked one eye open and glanced at the door under the dimmed light. The door was securely shut and only the sound of crickets' chirping softly, echoing across the room.

"Is she gone?" Natsuki whispered.

"Yes..."

"Pheew~!"

And Shizuru burst into muffled laugh.

"What?" Natsuki propped up onto one elbow, looking down at the laughing brunette.

"I can't believe I actually feel scared that your mother might catch us staying up late to watch the TV... I mean, I'm 26 already!" Shizuru laughed again; her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Trust me. She can be really scary sometimes! I just don't want her to nag at us for staying up so late..."

"Ara... I can't stop..." Shizuru intermittently giggled, wiping away her tears with her sleeves.

Natsuki snorted and shook her head at Shizuru's laughter, "Let's go to bed now... My mom would certainly nag at us if we wake up late tomorrow..."

Shizuru took a deep breath, finally able to calm her laughter and she beamed at Natsuki, "Okay..."

Natsuki brought Shizuru to the guest room she had prepared earlier.

"We'll going out for breakfast tomorrow, okay? Don't be late!" said Natsuki as she held the door open, smiling widely while Shizuru sat at the edge of the bed, giving her a small nod.

"Okay!"

"Good night then!"

"Natsuki!"

Natsuki's hand froze from closing the door when she heard Shizuru's call. Her eyebrows quirked questioningly at Shizuru's ecstatic face.

"What?"

Shizuru paused momentarily before she continued, "Thank you. I had so much fun tonight..."

Natsuki just gave a nod and a small smile, "Me too!" She closed the door again after they bid good night to each other.

Shizuru stared at the closed door with a happy smile plastered across her face. She just couldn't help but to think about their plan tomorrow. She was certainly looking forward to it.

_Breakfast... I wonder where Natsuki would take me?_

* * *

><p><strong>Review anyone? (^_^)<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Aha! Another chapter for you guys! Gotta say that I really enjoyed myself while writing this chapter. Hope you guys will enjoy reading it too.**

**Disclaimer: Neither Mai-Hime nor Sunrise are mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is...<strong>

**Chapter 8**

_"Tate eases the ball to Kanzaki. He made a run! He made a run now, folks!"_

_She watched him sprinted across the field, skillfully dodging the approaching opposition member; let a pass run past his opponent, circling around before pulling his right leg back high._

_"Is he going to shoot? Is this going to be his third successful attempts—Wait, Kanzaki shoots!"_

_The ball went towards the goal post in a rapid speed. It aimed for the top right corner—the goalkeeper was hovering on air; arms reaching out. His finger tips managed to graze lightly against the ball but it was too late. The ball went into the goal in one swift movement—the crowd went nuts._

_As soon the ball fell bouncing on the ground, the referee blew his whistle, calling the game end. The crowd went even louder with their cheers._

_"The Champion of 57th Annual University's Cup goes to, Kyoto University!"_

_Shizuru watched as Reito's teammates went to celebrate their win, hugging the young man and even lifted him up, chanting on his name._

_Reito pulled off his jersey, revealing his toned, chiseled abs as he waved around. Shizuru arched one brow in surprise at Reito's bold action. She could hear the girls amongst the crowd screamed for Reito's name as they fangirling over his undeniably perfect body._

_Shizuru blinked as s__he just watched._

_Reito, was being Reito, flaunting his body as if it was a bodybuilding competition. She tried to feel the excitement but she just couldn't. She just didn't know how to react._

_"Something is definitely wrong with me..."_

_She spoke into the thin air._

…_to no one._

* * *

><p>She curled her hands into fists, pressing against the cold glass as she stood in front of the window, watching the pool. The guest room she was occupying had a direct view to the back garden and the pool house which located right beside the huge swimming pool.<p>

The sun had risen but Shizuru had woken up earlier than that when she heard odd splashing sounds coming from outside. The splashes were caused by a certain raven haired woman who apparently had decided to go for a morning swim.

"Ara..." Shizuru muttered under her breath as she watched how Natsuki would dive in and swam across the pool so gracefully like she was signed up for a swimming pool commercial. Natsuki swam back and forth, displaying amazing techniques and control. Shizuru had to hold her breath, watching as Natsuki stepped out of the pool and dried herself with a towel. That one-piece dark blue/silver bikini wrapped around the bluenette's body so effortlessly like skin—Shizuru just couldn't tear her eyes away.

Shizuru felt a sweet, tingling sensation at the pit of her stomach—like millions of butterflies dwelling inside her, flapping its wings, coursing this whole new feeling all over her body. She didn't know why but she felt like to scream. A very loud one—but she wasn't going to do that. _That is such a crazy thought, isn't it?_

When Natsuki disappeared inside the pool house, Shizuru was still staring at the empty space where the bluenette had stood on. She hadn't realized she had been staring into spaces until she heard knocks on the door. Snapping out of her thought, Shizuru did a double take at the pool house and quickly made her way towards the door.

"Good morning."

_How did she get here so fast?_

"Oh? Good morning, Natsuki!" Her crimson eyes made a quick scan on Natsuki; from her wet hair and to the pair of fluffy slippers on her feet. Natsuki had changed into her sweatshirt and tracksuits. Suddenly Shizuru felt a bit disappointed. _I thought I could see her in that bikini up-close—oh my god...what am I thinking?_

"Oi! Are you still sleeping!?" Natsuki's husky voice was like an alarm ring, buzzing inside her ears and awakened her from daze. Shizuru blinked a couple of times and she quickly smiled.

"I'm sorry. I was a little bit sleepy…" Shizuru blatantly lied. Natsuki just snorted.

"You should get ready. My mom will be on us anytime soon. You definitely don't want to start your morning with her nagging, do you?"

_Well... I have started my morning with something better just now…_ Shizuru chuckled at Natsuki's comment and she gave a nod, "Okay, Natsuki. I'll get myself ready now."

Natsuki nodded back and smiled, "Alright! I'll see you in a few." She pivoted her feet and started to walk towards the staircase which led to the second floor.

Shizuru nudged forward, secretly watching Natsuki walked, scrutinizing each and every sway of her hips as Natsuki climbed on the stairs. As the figure of that raven haired woman slowly disappeared from her sight, Shizuru tugged at the door and she shut it behind her. She let out a heavy breath—she didn't know why she had to hold her breath in the first place. She placed a palm on her chest. Her heart was hammering against her ribs, so hard that she actually could hear its pounding.

_What are you doing to me?_

* * *

><p>"I wonder what the special occasion is…"<p>

Natsuki grinned as she typed on her phone and a satisfied smirk appeared on her lips before she kept away her phone into her jacket, "Nothing special. Your daughter is trying to be nice to you by taking you out for breakfast. You should be grateful! Besides, I have a surprise for you."

Saeko arched one eyebrow, unconvinced, "Hmm... Based on my experience, when you were trying to be nice to me, there must be something bad had happened..." Saeko narrowed her eyes, lowering her glasses slightly as she tapped her index finger on Natsuki's nose, "What did you do, young lady?"

Natsuki swatted Saeko's offending finger away, "Oh, come on, mom! I'm not 12!" Natsuki scowled, making Shizuru giggled as they walked towards her parked car.

Saeko just laughed as she hooked her arm around Natsuki's, "Anyway, I'm glad you want to take me out for a breakfast. It's been a while since we had our breakfast together. I can't wait for the surprise. Where do you plan to take me?"

"Oh... um..." Natsuki pouted as she turned to look at Shizuru.

Shizuru quirked her brows questioningly at Natsuki's inquiring gaze, "Don't tell me you have no plan..." Shizuru asked with a giggle.

"What?" Saeko's eyes widened slightly and slapped Natsuki's arm, earning a soft 'ouch' from the younger woman.

Natsuki instantly laughed at the look on Saeko's face, "I'm joking! Anyway Shizuru, do you mind if I drive your car?"

Shizuru placed a finger under her chin, smiling, "Hmm? I thought Natsuki said that my car is such a sissy car..."

"Well, yeah. It is _still_ a sissy car." Natsuki smirked mischievously as she walked to the driver's side, "I just don't trust your sense of direction... It is better if I drive us there instead of getting lost somewhere—"

"Okay! You drive!"

Natsuki broke into chuckle when Shizuru tossed the car keys at her and got into the passenger's seat with a pout. Saeko just shook her head, silently mouthing out 'You're such a naughty girl' at Natsuki's playful grin.

* * *

><p>"Seriously!?"<p>

"It's therapeutic!"

"Your ears seriously need a major overhaul... Why the hell would someone listen to nature sounds while driving!? This isn't therapeutic! It's going to make you sleepy and the next thing you know, you would drive into a building!"

"I have never driven into a building. Have you?"

"That's not my point—"

"You want to hear my point? I'm hungry and you two better shut it before I eat both of you!"

Both Natsuki and Shizuru instantly went quiet at Saeko's threatening voice.

Saeko had sighed for the umpteenth times during the entire ride. She slid a finger across the screen to turn off the phone and stared at the two young women before her. They had been arguing over something overly trivial; it started to make her head hurt.

"You two are 26 years old... Stop acting like a brat—"

Natsuki instantly butted in, "I'm 25, mom—"

"I don't care!" Saeko hissed, "Anyway, where are you taking us, Natsuki!? I'm hungry!"

Natsuki let out a sigh as she maneuvered the steering wheel and turned the car into the right junction, approaching one tall, luxurious building. The car eventually came to a halt and Natsuki pulled at the brake.

"We're here!"

Shizuru unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out the vehicle. Her eyes sauntered over the tall concrete and it came to her realization that it was a hotel. _Who would've thought Natsuki planned to take us here…_

"A hotel?" Saeko asked whilst closing the door as she stared at the luxurious and lavish ornaments decorated on the building.

"Yup!" Natsuki grinned as she walked over to Shizuru, handing over the car key, "Thank you very much for lending me your car but you have to drive us home later…"

"Since Natsuki is treating me this breakfast, I don't think I can refuse to that…" Shizuru took the key with a smile, playfully glaring at the younger woman out of the corner of her eyes.

"I'm glad we have an understanding." Natsuki laughed as she walked towards the entrance, holding the door for Shizuru and Saeko to walk in.

* * *

><p>"Please make your order. I'll be right back." Shizuru smiled, collecting her purse and her phone.<p>

"Where are you going?" Natsuki asked, staring at Shizuru, looking a tad worried.

"Washroom. Does Natsuki want to accompany me?" Shizuru gave a playful wink and Natsuki instantly frowned albeit her lips were curved into a smile.

"No. Just be quick or we'll start eating without you!"

Shizuru gave off a chuckle as she walked towards the restroom located at the far corner of that restaurant.

Natsuki watched at Shizuru's retreating back as Shizuru slowly disappeared from her sight. While the brunette was making her way towards the washroom, she couldn't help noticing the restaurant staffs were stopping at their tracks and gave her a low bow. _Wow, these staffs are very polite to customers. I guess for them to have the best hospitality is not only an entitlement. They live up to its reputation..._

Natsuki took a seat which was facing the kitchen door while Saeko was sitting right across her.

"This is the first time."

Natsuki blinked as she placed her arms on the table, looking at Saeko questioningly, "What?"

Saeko's lips tugged into a smile, "You and Shi-chan seem to be in a good term. That's really surprising. You have never taken a liking to any of Reito's girlfriend—"

Saeko paused as a young, bright looking waitress approached the table and gave them the menu and left with a promise that she would be right back to take their orders.

"—yet alone talking and bringing her along for breakfast together." Saeko continued. Her eyes were fixated at the young woman across the table while fingers flipping at the pages of the menu.

Natsuki was looking around the restaurant as she replied, "Shizuru is different."

"Different _as_...?"

There was a touch of sarcasm in Saeko's tone—Natsuki instantly turned to face her mother. Though they shared the same shade of emerald, the one she was staring at right now carried a whole lot more than she could imagine. They were loving yet intimidating; comforting and a bit upsetting at times. Those eyes had held up with a lot of tears; happiness and sadness. Those eyes had seen a lot this world had to offer.

Natsuki knew by heart that Saeko could read her mind if she ever let her. Natsuki instantly smiled. _Not this time..._

"Different as _different_." Natsuki's answer was short; Saeko curved up a knowing smirk.

_A clever answer._

"I'm glad. At least that would lessen our worry that you might not going to get along with your future sister-in-law. Your father and I really wish that Shi-chan would be the last one. We had gone through a lot with Reito's past girlfriends—they gave us a lot of headache."

Natsuki just snickered.

"When will we ever hear anything from you?"

Natsuki rolled her eyes up to look at Saeko again, "About what?"

"No boyfriend?"

Natsuki should have seen it coming, "No."

Saeko's lips widened more when she saw Natsuki's face contorted into a scowl, "No as…?"

"No as never—" Natsuki felt like slapping her own mouth, "I-I mean, not yet."

Saeko gave off a chuckle and she nodded, lowering her gaze to read on her menu "Okay."

As they read on the menu, Natsuki's peripheral view caught a glimpse of a person, approaching the table. Tilting her head up, she instantly noticed who that was and her lips quickly curved up into a wide smile.

"One eggs benedict for you, ma'am."

Saeko arched her brows in surprise, she hadn't order anything yet. Her emerald eyes blinked a couple of times as she stared at the scrumptious meal before her.

"Wait… this isn't my order—"

"Oh, this is no longer your favorite?"

Saeko instinctively turned around to look at the waitress who had sent the food. Her eyes widened—it wasn't a waitress. An orange haired woman in a chef uniform smiled brightly at her.

Saeko was gaping.

"Mai-chan!?"

"Natsuki should have told me that you're no longer eating this for breakfast—" Mai's words halted halfway when Saeko pulled her into a bear hug. Mai returned the hug with a happy giggle.

"Oh my god! Where on earth have you been!? I haven't seen you in years!" Saeko was at the brink of tearing up as she cupped Mai's face with both hands, laughing happily to finally meet the young woman again,

"So this is the surprise you've told me about?" Saeko turned to look at Natsuki and the latter just laughed.

"It's a good surprise, isn't it?" Natsuki grinned.

Wiping her eyes, Saeko turned to look at Mai again, patting her cheeks endearingly, "Yes it is!" But then she noticed Mai's uniform, her eyes widened again,

"You're a chef now!?"

Mai couldn't help but to giggle as she nodded her head twice, "Yes, I am! You told me to be one, so here you go!"

"Not just a chef. She's _THE_ executive chef for this hotel!" Natsuki added, arching one brow and later earned a wide, charming smile from Mai.

"You are definitely deserved for another hug. Come here!" Saeko pulled Mai into another hug and they laughed.

"Anyway, have you changed your favorite breakfast, Saeko-mama?" Mai asked as she pulled the chair for Saeko.

Saeko quickly shook her head as she chuckled, "No, of course not. I was just surprised when you sent the food without me knowing. It is always been my favorite, especially if you're the one who made it!"

They shared laughed.

"Come, Mai-chan! Let's join us!" Saeko pulled at Mai's arm, gesturing her to sit together with them.

Mai smiled apologetically, "I'm so sorry, Saeko-mama. I wish I could but I have to get back to the kitchen..." Mai giggled again at Saeko's cute pout, definitely the same one Natsuki inherited whenever she was slightly angry, "But in return, I will be the one who cook for your breakfast."

"That would be as good." Natsuki grinned and Saeko just let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine. But you have to come over for a dinner or something at our house. Anyway, how's Takumi doing? Is he getting better?"

"Not really but he's in a promising progress. We're waiting for the perfect donor for him. He's staying with me by the way."

Saeko started to feel worried, "Is he in the hospital?"

Mai nodded, "He's supposed to be home a few days ago but the doctor had to hold him for another week because he had a complication with his breathing." Mai said with a sad smile, "But he's doing okay now."

"Take me with you next time you're seeing him."

"Okay!" Mai beamed brightly at the older woman and they continued to talk.

Natsuki watched them with a smile but then her eyes flickered at the sight of a brunette haired woman walking out the restroom. She caught Shizuru's dazzling smile at her; she couldn't help but to do likewise.

"There she is... Took her long enough..."

"Who?"

Both Saeko and Mai quickly turned to look.

At the sight of the brunette, the smile on Mai's face instantly dropped and her back quickly straightened. _She's here!?_

Natsuki had her words loaded and ready and when Shizuru was within earshot, she spoke, "You seriously need to triple your green tea consumption, Shizuru. You have constipation, aren't you? What are you doing, staying so long in that toilet!?"

Shizuru chuckled at Natsuki's teasing remark, "I've told you I don't have a constipation problem—" But then she noticed the presence of another person at that table. Her brows quirked in surprise as she stopped her advance a couple feet away from their table._  
><em>

Natsuki just couldn't understand why Mai suddenly went to stand right in front of Shizuru and lowered her head slightly.

"G-good day to you, Fujino-sama!"

"It's Tokiha-san, isn't it? Good day to you too!"

Natsuki was baffled as she stared in awe at the two women before her.

"You two know each other?"

* * *

><p><em>"Are you sure?"<em>

_"Very."_

_Yukino pushed her glasses slightly while reading at the company profile the other woman had brought to her._

_"But I've never heard about this company before. I don't know if giving them the project for our hotel renovation is a good idea..."_

_Shizuru entwined her fingers, resting her chin against her knuckles,_

_"This company is quite renowned in Europe. They recently opened a branch here in Japan. I don't think it would be much problem for my father to agree with my proposition. That's why I decided for them to start renovate the one in Kyoto first. It is closer to home and my father could supervise their work personally."_

_Yukino nodded her head twice, "...okay." She paused, "But I want to ask you something."_

_Shizuru's brows quirked questioningly, "What is it?"_

_"This isn't personal, is it?" Yukino asked, gesturing at the company profile on her desk._

_Her lips curved up into a smile. Shizuru leaned back, resting against the leather chair,_

_"No. This is totally professional."_

* * *

><p>Natsuki propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on the upturned, glaring at the brunette who was sitting next to her. Natsuki was insistent with her glaring; Shizuru almost choked and giggled on her tea.<p>

"You should've told me that you're the heiress of this hotel chain..."

"Natsuki never asked. I don't think it is something I need to speak about, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah but at least you should have told me."

"Again, you never asked, Natsuki... Stop complaining. I want to eat in peace!" Saeko scowled at the young bluenette before she continued eating her breakfast while reading the newspaper.

Natsuki frowned to Saeko's scolding and Shizuru laughed.

"I-uh… I was wondering… About this renovation project we got for this hotel chain in Kyoto… were you involved in it?"

Shizuru simply shrugged with grin, "Who knows?"

"What do you mean by who knows? Aren't you supposed to be the heiress of this hotel?" Natsuki asked, somewhat confused.

"I am but it doesn't mean I know everything about the management. I'm just the heiress but the person who has the power for every decision is my father." Shizuru stated simply.

"I see… But—" Natsuki was about to ask again when Mai suddenly walked out the kitchen door, holding on their sets of meal she had cooked. She placed one plate before Shizuru and smiled brightly.

"Your breakfast, Fujino-sama..."

Shizuru instantly smiled at the sight of her favorite Japanese breakfast set. Tilting her head up, she nodded her head in approval and thanked the young chef, "You're always the one who is very particular about someone's favorite. My father is definitely right about you, Tokiha-san..."

Mai smiled sheepishly as she bowed her head, "Thank you very much, Fujino-sama. I'm just doing my job..." she bowed again before walking to Natsuki's side and placing a plate in front of the bluenette.

"Remember this...?" Mai quirked one eyebrow as she watched Natsuki's face slowly changed.

"Isn't this...?" Natsuki was a bit surprised when she saw that plate. Mai gave a nod and a bright smile.

"I used to cook this for you on Saturdays..." Mai grinned as she placed her hands on her waist, "Your favorite—"

"Saturdays' Full English Breakfast!" They rhymed together and later fell into laughter.

Shizuru couldn't help but to smile while watching their interaction—though in silent, she felt a strange tug at the pit of her stomach.

And it was not so pleasant.

"They're best friends. Since high-school."

Shizuru instantly turned her head and saw Saeko was smiling. Saeko just answered her unspoken question.

"I see. No wonder they're close..." Shizuru concluded with a smile and turned to face her meal. Strangely, it didn't feel that appetizing anymore.

It was yet another confusing feeling she had ever since she met Natsuki. She was far from understanding these whole new emotions she had lately and watching Natsuki and Mai being intimately close to each other, it just added up another one in her list.

Jealousy.

Natsuki caught a strange glint in Shizuru's eyes when their gaze met briefly before Shizuru shifted to focus on her breakfast. Though it was just for a split second, Natsuki thought Shizuru was being angry over something but it was quickly disappeared.

"You should get back to the kitchen... Your boss is right here. You don't want her to fire your ass, do you?" Natsuki whispered at Mai's ear as the latter leaned down when Natsuki suddenly pulled at her arm.

Mai was just too caught up in the moment of relishing her memories with Natsuki. She gave out a soft cough and quickly excusing herself back to the kitchen, "I should get back to the kitchen. Enjoy your meal!"

The table went awkwardly quiet—Saeko was eating while reading the newspaper; Shizuru was just holding her rice bowl and Natsuki noticed her food was barely touched.

"Is your food okay?"

"Yes."

Natsuki frowned slightly at the short and imperturbable response. She took a quick glance at Saeko; the older woman was still engrossed with her food and newspaper—Natsuki turned to face Shizuru again.

"Is there something wrong…?"

One corner of her lips tugged into a small smile, a sly one, "Why would it be?" Shizuru asked back.

There was something unlikely in Shizuru's tone and Natsuki suddenly felt her anger swelled within her chest. It was more like an impulse. Before her mouth could spurt out words which could possibly lead into an argument, Saeko suddenly slapped the newspaper on the table, pulling both Natsuki and Shizuru's attention towards her.

"So… what do you want to talk about, Shi-chan?"

The attention quickly went back to the astonished brunette.

"Ara, about what, Saeko-mama?" Shizuru blinked twice, she was confused.

Saeko had eaten half of her breakfast, "You called me, asking me out for a dinner last night which was unfortunately replaced by Natsuki…" Saeko placed down her fork, "You said you have something to talk about."

Natsuki quickly relaxed on her chair; her anger had dissipated and her eyes fixated at Shizuru, curiously waiting for that brunette's answer.

Shizuru instantly came to her realization on what Saeko had meant, "O-oh, about that…"

Seeing Shizuru's hesitation, Saeko quickly understood, "Is it about Reito?"

Shizuru's eyes instantly widened at the question and Natsuki knew her mother just scored a bull's eye. Her own eyes went searching into Shizuru's. Her mind made a quick flashback of what had happened the other day when she caught Shizuru and Reito making out.

Well, at least that was what she assumed they did.

_Making out is supposed to be a fun thing but why did she cry? Did Reito force her? _Since then, Natsuki just couldn't help but wondering.

"I can leave you alone with my mom if you want to…"

Shizuru snapped up her eyes and her hand moved instinctively to wrap around Natsuki's,

"No, please stay."

Natsuki's heart skipped a beat at the warm touch on her right hand but Shizuru instantly jerked her hand, taking away the warmth which she instantly missed. _Okay… that's just weird._

Natsuki turned to look at Saeko; the older woman gave an approval nod for her stay. Natsuki silently swallowed. She was never a fan for a serious talk. She would try her best to avoid it as quick as she could but seeing Shizuru's distraught face, she didn't know why she was compelled to stay. _I wonder what's bothering you…_

Saeko took a silent sip of her tea and she calmly placed it on the table, "Shall we start?"

* * *

><p>They went into another quick silence; Saeko was quietly contemplating while Natsuki just remained silent as she stared at Shizuru as if trying to read her mind. Shizuru was mostly quiet, sipping at her tea from time to time.<p>

"You're thinking of breaking up with him? How long have you two been dating…?" Saeko commenced another question.

"We officially started dating—I think around last year right after we graduated. So, it is almost one year…" Shizuru pursed her lips; eyes went back and forth at the two women before her.

"Not that long…" Saeko rubbed her chin.

"But we've been friends before that, so—"

Saeko sighed, smiling, "Yes, I know but you two are still in the early stage of relationship… There's no way of knowing unless you and Reito continue to learn about each other. Have you told him that you don't want to have any kind of sexual contact before marriage?"

"Pfffftt—!" Natsuki instantly choked on her coffee. Both Saeko and Shizuru turned around, glaring.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Natsuki coughed so hard that her face started to redden, "P-please continue…" she said as she reached for a glass of water, trying her best to avoid Shizuru's enraged glare as she slowly taking a sip.

Apparently, listening to an 'adult' conversation while trying to restrain herself from laughing was such a difficult task. Natsuki had to bit her lower lip, so hard that it had embedded the tender skin with her teeth mark. _Oh god… Poor Reito… Now I understand the whole reason behind his constant mood swing… He has never got it on with his girlfriend! _Natsuki mentally giggled.

"We did discuss about it…" Shizuru was hesitating as her eyes went back to look at Natsuki. The latter had her head hung low; her dark hair cascaded down and Shizuru couldn't see Natsuki's face but her trembling shoulders were an obvious giveaway. Natsuki was silently laughing. Shizuru inwardly scowled. _Ara... she should at least be more supportive about this instead of laughing..._

"He's not perfect..."

Both Natsuki and Shizuru instantly turned to face the older woman across the table.

Saeko paused before she continued shortly after taking a sip of her tea, "Reito... He's not perfect," she repeated as she raised the ceramic cup and gesturing it to Shizuru, "And you're not either. The two of you will never be perfect."

Shizuru was slightly taken aback with Saeko's comment as she just sat there, staring.

Natsuki decided it was best for her to keep herself quiet while the other two were discussing—eyes fixated at that chestnut haired woman, studying her expression.

"But if he can make you laugh at least once, if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He might not going to think about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don't hurt him, don't change him, and don't expect for more than he can give. Don't analyze." Saeko paused again with a smile.

Shizuru was speechless. Saeko's words rang inside her ears, starting to make her doubting her own decision.

Natsuki entwined her fingers and rested her chin against the knuckles, "I think I've heard that quote somewhere..." she grinned.

Saeko just giggled, "Yes, of course you did. It's from Bob Marley!"

"I knew it!" Both mother and daughter shared a loud laugh.

Shizuru was left confused again. _Wait, what? Who is Bob Marley?_

After their laugh subsided, Saeko took a deep breath and stared at the troubled brunette with a soft, assuring smile,

"Just give Reito some time, Shi-chan... I'm sure he will learn from his mistakes. Talk to him—tell him everything you need to tell and to be fair, you need to listen to him too. Communication is the key! Taking time is what love's all about!"

They fell into silence again when Saeko had concluded her words.

Natsuki found herself staring at the kitchen door, taking in the sight of a certain orange haired chef, walking in and out the kitchen in hurry, completely unaware to a tender gaze Natsuki had been upholding. Natsuki curved up a smile. _Taking time, huh? I wonder..._

Saeko's words were long forgotten as she fixed her stare at Natsuki's smile. Slowly, she followed Natsuki's gaze and saw the cause of that smile.

One orange-haired chef was working diligently, meeting the customers who requested her presence at their table, receiving praises for her unquestionably amazing talent in cooking—Shizuru suddenly felt overwhelmed.

She turned to face the table again. Hands quickly found her tea cup. The heat which emanated from the cup was comforting but it just wasn't enough—would never be enough to warm up her heart. Her eyes rolled up to meet the oblivious emeralds. That look was still there, so did the smile.

_So that is how it looks like..._

Shizuru felt her heart fluttered and sunk at the same time. She wondered how it even possible. Shizuru looked down at the clear liquid in her cup, seeing nothing but her own reflection.

_The look of someone who is deeply in love..._

* * *

><p>The whole ride home mostly was quiet since Saeko had fell into sleep. It was one of her habit—to sleep right after eating and one had to wonder how she even managed to maintain such figure at such age with that habit of hers.<p>

Natsuki noticed Shizuru had talked less and less as they gotten closer to the mansion. Shizuru's odd silence was one of the things that she still needed to learn ever since she befriended that brunette. Not to mention there were other things about Shizuru which had sparked her curiosity and somewhat confused her.

For instance, her stare—sometimes she felt as if Shizuru had an X-ray vision; her gaze penetrated deep into places where she didn't want anyone to find.

Her smile—_oh yeah _that smile. Natsuki had to admit, it was one of the most beautiful smiles she had ever seen and it sure did 'something' on her.

Every time.

And now, her silence—it confused her to no end. Though they didn't have much of conversation going on between them, Natsuki thought she had learnt a bit about that brunette. And strangely enough, she wanted to learn more. Shizuru affected her in so many ways and she _really-really_ wondered why.

"We're here…" Shizuru pulled up and Natsuki quickly turned to look at her mother on the back seat. She reached out and shook Saeko's thigh slightly.

"Mom... we're home. Wake up!"

Shizuru's brows quirked slightly at the soft and loving tone Natsuki used when she tried to wake Saeko up. It was kind of surprising because she often saw Natsuki spoke with Saeko while using such harsh tone and sometimes that bluenette tended to be a bit haughty. Shizuru inwardly smiled. _There's just so much about you that I have yet to learn, Natsuki…_

"We're here already? Mou…" Saeko pouted sleepily as she stretched her arms upwards, "Natsuki, would you please carry me in?"

Natsuki was glaring at the older woman and she ignored her, grunting softly as she stepped out the car. Saeko burst into giggles.

"Fine! I'll walk! See you again, Shi-chan… Remember! Talk with Reito, okay?"

Shizuru gave a nod as she waved. Saeko climbed the stairs which led to the front door before disappearing into the mansion.

Natsuki was standing outside the car near the driver's side, awkwardly staring at the tires.

Shizuru just couldn't help but to mentally giggled at Natsuki's face. She knew Natsuki had something going on in her mind. She meant to ask what was bothering her but she would let that bluenette to initiate the impending question.

"Thank you for breakfast, Natsuki. See you again…" Shizuru restarted the engine and preparing to drive back home.

"Wait!"

Shizuru just couldn't hold her smile, "Yes, Natsuki?"

"Can we talk?"

Natsuki's tone turned serious, Shizuru quickly turned off the engine and she stepped out the vehicle, "Sure…"

Natsuki breathed in a great deal of air before leaning in and rested her right arm against the car, "I just need to get this out of my head…"

Truth to be told, Shizuru started to feel a little anxious, "Okay… about what?"

"It's about what my mother said earlier this morning..." Natsuki paused as she tilted her head up, meeting Shizuru's inquiring gaze on hers, "You don't have to do it if you don't want to, you know…?"

Shizuru was stunned. She thought Natsuki was going to ask about the renovation project but it was about her problem earlier, "I don't understand…"

Natsuki scratched the back of her head sheepishly, "What I'm trying to say is... don't make my mother's words an obligation to you. You have the right to choose. This is your life we're talking about."

"But—"

"I know that my mom is all about giving chances and actually she really wishes to have you as her daughter-in-law since I didn't do much of being a perfect daughter to her..." Natsuki chuckled as she snuck her hands into her pocket.

Shizuru couldn't help but to giggle too.

"And though I do have a little disagreement with Reito, I'm not saying that he's such a bad guy. He could be the perfect man any woman could wish for but maybe not for you. I know that you probably think about giving yourself and Reito more time to figure things out between you two. Well hey, it is fine too!" Natsuki paused, running her hand through her hair.

Shizuru just watched as the silky dark strands cascaded down and she caught Natsuki's gaze at her, a bit intense and meaningful.

"For me, it just doesn't make any sense to hold on when there's nothing there..." Natsuki added, "There's just no point of giving time… if you found yourself no longer in love with him…"

Shizuru found herself astounded yet again. How did Natsuki manage to read right through her? Was she that transparent?

Shizuru slowly brought up her arms, crossing it above her ribs—she suddenly felt exposed. Natsuki had breached her defense and cracked her mask she had been perfectly displayed.

Since when someone could easily read her, she wondered. Never, not even her family—until Natsuki.

"Why are you doing this...?"

Natsuki simply shrugged, "I don't know... I just feel compelled to speak to you about this. It's been bugging me earlier and I didn't want to say it right in front of my mother because I thought it would be best to speak to you personally."

Her heart fluttered crazily—Shizuru just couldn't hold this upcoming smile, "I see... Does Natsuki care about me?"

"Well, _duh?_ You're a friend. You should care about your friend, right?" Natsuki said matter-of-factly with quirking brows.

"Ara, since Natsuki and I are being friends, I think we should call each other by nicknames..." Shizuru just couldn't hold herself from teasing that lovely blunette.

Natsuki instantly scowled, "Oh, hell to the NO!"

"Why not!?"

"Because of reasons!"

And Shizuru just burst into giggle fit. Natsuki felt her cheeks starting to heat up.

"Natsuki?"

Natsuki was looking at the other way, frowning when she felt a soft tug at her left arm, "Hm?"

"Can I hug you?"

"No."

Natsuki's curt reply made Shizuru laughed again, "Ara, that's very mean of you!"

"Why would you want to do that in the first place!?"

"Because we're friends!"

Natsuki's reasoning backfired, she was stunned. She found herself tongue-tied and cheeks emanating more heat, "F-fine! You should be thankful because only selected people are allowed to hug—"

Her next words were left forgotten when her body crushed against Shizuru's in a fierce hug. That brunette was holding onto her like her life was depended on it. The lock around her neck was tight but strangely enough, it didn't suffocate her—she felt something else.

Something pleasant; something she had been yearning for years. Something she had been wanting her whole life—she never thought she could feel it with another person.

She felt loved.

Shizuru's warm breath swept at her right ear, sending more shivers along her spine and surging through her finger tips. Suddenly she felt giddy. She could feel Shizuru's soft cheek against hers—her calm intake of breath as she buried her face deeper onto the crook of her neck.

"Thank you, Natsuki…"

Shizuru pressed her nose onto Natsuki's shoulder, feeling the tensed muscles relaxed at her words and slowly, she felt trembling arms, circling around her mid-section, clasping awkwardly at the small of her back. Her lips couldn't hide a smile. Being hugged by Natsuki was like being enveloped by this surprisingly familiar warmth—like being hugged by someone intimately close; someone you had known for years. Ironically, she had known this young blunette only for a short period of time.

"Y-yeah… N-no problem…"

Natsuki's stutter brought another smile on her face. It was really endearing, she thought and she finally came to realization of what she had been feeling with having that young blunette in her arms.

"Thank you very much…"

It felt like… home.

* * *

><p><strong>Was it too quick? Tell me what you guys think, okay? ^_^<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! How are you guys doing? It's the fall season and also my favorite, but sadly I got tons of work need to be done before this coming winter.**

**This is the latest chapter. Hope you guys will enjoy it. Happy reading everyone!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is…<strong>

**Chapter 9**

"_I like you… Like, really-really like you…"_

_She just didn't know why she found herself tongue-tied at the confession. She thought she was prepared for it since it was pretty much obvious and everybody around them kept claiming how they would make a cute couple._

_She kept staring at the pair of eyes before her. They were glinting in anticipation. Suddenly she felt her chest tightened; her throat started to dry; her palms were sticky with perspiration._

_She was nervous and scared at the same time—she wanted to scream._

_She watched how those rosy cheeks blushed even deeper with each word. Those eyes just couldn't hold its stare on hers more than 3 seconds—she suddenly felt like laughing but it was too quickly overwhelmed by uncertainty and fear._

_Words, they could be really beautiful and they also could be like knives—they could cut you open. Sometimes, they could be like a curse. Because of those words, she couldn't eat; couldn't sleep and all of sudden she was like haunted by this one fear._

_The fear of losing her._

_The thought of being in love and committing in a relationship was tempting—but not with the outcome where one day they might have a fight; that one day they might break up._

_The thought of one day she might leave her... alone._

_So she concluded before any of that happened, she needed to take her own decision._

_...she left._

* * *

><p>"Good morning, bitch."<p>

"I have a name, ya know? My name is Natsuki."

"Why should I bother to spell your 3 syllables name while I can call you bitch?" Nao arched one brow, smiling mischievously while placing down a mug right before the annoyed bluenette.

Frowning, Natsuki took the mug nonetheless and had a swig of the coffee, "Oh wow. This is good! Did you use a new creamer or something, Nao?"

"Yeah. My breast milk."

Natsuki and Chie instantly choked while Haruka gagged and spitted the coffee back into the mug before she went into coughing.

"Oh my god... I was joking! You guys are so stupid!" Nao laughed again, banging her fists on the desk while the others were glaring at her. They were like shooting out invisible daggers from their eyes at the red head.

"You are so fired, Yuuki!" Haruka wiped her mouth with a tissue while handing over a pack to Natsuki and Chie.

Nao relaxed on her chair, swinging it back and forth, "I've heard it for 107 times already, boss!" she said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

Haruka was furious—Nao was right. She wouldn't dare to fire her because that red head played such a significant role in her company and it would be a huge loss for her to let go such talent. Besides, she was just joking, though sometimes her jokes were just borderline extreme.

"Fine!" Haruka harrumphed, "Have you finished your work?"

"Right here!" Nao took out a thumb drive from her pocket. Haruka nodded.

"We'll do a little revision then we'll proceed with the meeting. We can't let them wait for long."

Chie raised her mug but hesitantly took a sip because of Nao's stupid joke earlier, "I've heard that the top brass will be coming all the way from Kyoto..."

Natsuki's ears perked up at the news. _That means we'll be meeting with Shizuru's father?_ She didn't know why she suddenly felt nervous.

Haruka crossed her arms, "The owner, huh? I've heard about that man... He's quite difficult to deal with..."

"Let's hope for the best, guys. We wouldn't be chosen if we are not good enough." Natsuki assured with a smile.

Haruka, Chie and Nao gave a nod in agreement.

"We'll start with what you've prepared, Nao."

* * *

><p>He opened his eyes—the lights blinded him and he quickly shut them back. His arms felt heavy as he tried to move, bringing them to cover his eyes. A soft groan escaped from his lips and his breath shuddered with every move he made.<p>

"Are you awake?"

He recognized that voice; it brought this calming effect on him. His breaths grew even and a smile slowly appeared on his lips. Opening his eyes, he saw this familiar shade of violet staring back into his—worried and loving.

"Yes..."

A soft relief sigh could be heard—he chuckled, "I passed out again, didn't I?" he asked.

"You scared me... We're in the middle of cooking breakfast and you just collapsed—just like that!"

He chuckled again as he watched her demonstrated the scene. Her tone was somewhat scolding and a tad playful but she could never hide the true emotion behind that tone.

She was scared to death and he knew it.

"I'm sorry for making you worried, 'nee-chan..."

Mai blinked in surprised but she quickly smiled, "What are you apologizing for, silly?" she playfully tapped at his nose and slowly brought her hand upwards to touch at his head.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. You're my brother. I'll take care of you." Mai said, reassuringly as she fondled his hair, brushing it away from covering his eyes.

"But who's going to take care of _you_...?"

His words were like a straight pitch to her heart—Mai found her hand trembled slightly and she quickly pulled it away. She smiled.

"Takumi..."

"Have you told her?"

Again, Takumi caught her tongue-tied for the second times. Mai slowly took a deep breath.

"Why all of sudden—"

Takumi's stare was stubborn. Mai sighed, defeated.

"No. I haven't told her anything..."

"Why?"

A smile crept on her lips; Mai shook her head slightly—her hair swishing at the movement.

"What difference would it make?" Mai said, her tone sounded a little dejected.

Takumi reached out his hand and grasped at the soft hand which had touched his head, "A lot..." he said, "It would change a lot of things..."

Mai looked away, staring outside the windows, "She has done great without me... What makes you think it would get any better with having me in her life...?"

Silence slowly filled the room. More words were left unspoken as they encased themselves with the calming stillness.

"She didn't leave you, you know?" Takumi's grasp had slowly gotten tighter, bringing Mai's attention back to him. "She never left you. It was you who walked away..."

Takumi's words stung hard in her chest—she never thought it would be this painful. Tears welled in her eyes, stinging and threatening to fall anytime soon. Mai dropped her head low. Her shoulders were trembling.

"I'm scared."

Takumi smiled, "You should be. I am too... Almost every day..." he said, taking Mai's hand closer to his chest; she could feel his heart beating—slow and even.

"I'm always thinking that what if one day I passed out again and never woke up—"

"TAKUMI! Stop saying such nonsense!"

Mai watched Takumi's lips slowly formed into a wide smile.

"There's a lot of 'what ifs', isn't it? What if I never had this disease in the first place? What if tomorrow we would hear the news about my donor? What if..." He paused before continuing with a tear slowly ran down his cheek; he smiled again, clutching Mai's hand tighter.

"What if I died today? It sure would change a lot of things, wouldn't it?"

Mai just couldn't hold herself any longer. She had been holding back way too long; she was on the verge of breaking down. Everything came rushing back like a tidal wave; a huge blow of emotion came crashing on her with no mercy.

"What if she had done loving me? What if she had found someone else? What if—"

"—What if she's still in love with you?"

Mai tilted her head up, meeting Takumi's tender gaze on hers.

"Ah... you never gave yourself a thought about that, aren't you?" Takumi chuckled at Mai's dumbfounded face. She slowly relaxed as she wiped her tears dry.

"I-I have never—"

Takumi shook his head and chuckled again, "You should give her a chance for that, you know? And yourself too..."

Mai watched Takumi's calm face as he added,

"Just tell her that you love her..."

* * *

><p>Soft tapping sound could be heard echoing across the room—Haruka's patience was slowly thinning.<p>

"Where the hell are they? We've been waiting here for almost one hour..." Haruka spoke through gritted teeth.

Natsuki remained quiet as she watched the secretary poured more tea for them. She hadn't even touched the first one—she never took a liking for tea. For her, it was just like drinking plain water. Tasteless and bland, unlike coffee—strong aroma and it has this distinct pungent taste.

But waiting for almost one hour sure did a number on her. She started to get a little thirsty.

Natsuki reached for her cup and brought it closer to her mouth. A scent of jasmine slowly wafted into her senses, she closed her eyes. _Weird... It somehow makes me calm..._

A flash of an image suddenly appeared in her mind. She remembered watching a certain brunette haired woman indulging the aroma of her tea before taking a sip. She quietly smiled. _Now I know why she likes to do that with her tea..._ Natsuki slowly opened her eyes again and she took a sip. _Still bland... I should teach her to drink coffee some day..._

Placing down her cup, she turned to look at Haruka, "Should we ask them to postpone this meeting? We got a hell lot of work need to be done instead of waiting for them—"

"Sorry for waiting!"

Both Haruka and Natsuki almost jumped on their seats when the door suddenly being pushed open and one mousy haired woman walked into the room with hasty steps. Looking at her rapid breaths and slightly tousled hair, they knew the other woman had run all the way to that room.

Haruka was the first to stand up and she walked over to the other woman, helping her with the files and papers, "H-here! Let me help you with those..."

The mousy haired woman clumsily pushed her glasses and smiled brightly at the blonde, "Thank you!"

Like being surged by electric, Haruka straightened her back almost instantly at the smile and she quickly bowed her head, "Y-you're welcome!" and she staggered back to her seat, looking frigid.

"You okay?" Natsuki asked when she saw Haruka's cheeks slowly reddened.

Quickly shaking her head, Haruka replied, "Y-yeah! I'm okay!"

"So... You must be Suzushiro Haruka..." the other woman suddenly spoke and she paused as she shifted her gaze at Natsuki, "And Kuga Natsuki?"

Both Haruka and Natsuki instantly bolted up from their seats and they bowed slightly, "Yes! We're from Armitage Tech, ma'am..."

"No-no... Please drop such formality... We're around the same age. Just call me Yukino. My name is Kikugawa Yukino. I'm the Chief Operating Officer for Windbloom Regency Hotel. It's a pleasure to meet you two." Yukino smiled as she bowed her head.

Haruka went over to exchange name card with Yukino and the latter smiled softly as she read on the card, "You're the CEO? I can't believe I'm meeting with the owner."

Haruka bowed her head again, "I-it is a 'donor' to meet you too, Yukino-san..."

An awkward silence engulfed them—Natsuki instantly slapped her forehead.

"You mean 'honour'?" Yukino couldn't help to smile at the mispronounce word.

Realizing her blunder, the temperature of Haruka's face escalated instantly and she just lowered her face, "T-that's exactly the word I'm looking for!"

Yukino giggled softly and she nodded, "Okay, Haruka-san... It is an _honour _too to meet both of you. Please, have a seat. We have to wait for my CEO to arrive. She'll be here shortly..."

Haruka went back to her chair and flopped down with a heavy sigh. Natsuki kept her glare at the blonde and she slowly inched closer.

"What the hell is going on? You stopped stuttering and speaking with crazy vocabulary like million years ago... What triggered it now?" Natsuki spoke through gritted teeth as she watched Haruka fidgeting on her seat.

"I don't know! It just happened!" Haruka replied back, hissing while she tried to keep a straight face.

Yukino was busy going through multiple of documents—she barely noticed the other two women in that room were exchanging conversation with hissing to each other like they were speaking in Parseltongue.

"Just let me do the talking, okay? I don't want you to embarrass yourself in front of the CEO!"

Haruka quickly nodded, "Okay!"

Later they heard soft knocks on the door and the secretary who served them tea a moment earlier walked in with another tray—but she brought a teapot this time.

"Where is she?" Yukino asked the young secretary as she poured a cup for the executive.

"She's right outside, talking on the phone. She'll be in shortly—" And as the secretary finished her words, the door squeaked open—one brunette haired woman walked in.

Natsuki found herself gaping and her eyes widened. Her mouth almost slipped out a name but the look the other woman gave her was like putting glue on her mouth.

_Do not tell anyone that you know me._

Natsuki instantly clamped her mouth tight as she just watched the brunette strutted her way towards the chair prepared.

"Is that the CEO? I thought we're going to meet one old guy or something..." Haruka whispered to Natsuki but the bluenette was just as confused.

"So, Haruka-san, Natsuki-san... This is Fujino Shizuru. The sole heiress of this hotel chain and the CEO..."

Their gaze met yet again—a smile curved up on the brunette's lips.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Suzushiro-san..." Shizuru paused; her stare lingered at the surprised blunette.

"Kuga-san..."

* * *

><p>It was hard.<p>

Trying to focus was apparently such a difficult task for her, especially when you're standing at the front, presenting your work to the CEO who was also the heiress of one of the most prominent hotel chain.

But actually, it wasn't the main problem.

The main problem was that CEO had been staring at her—no, she was like undressing her with her stare!

_Dammit, Shizuru! Stop staring at me! _Natsuki had been trying her best to avoid direct stare with the crimson ones. She was nervous and she had never been nervous while doing presentation. Sometimes she could feel Shizuru's smile at her—and how the hell it even possible to 'feel' someone's smile?

But Natsuki did.

"With that, it will take us—" Natsuki paused as she flipped on the documents in her hand, "—around 2 or 3 months to finish with the whole renovation. If there isn't much problem, we probably will make it earlier than that..."

Shizuru curved up a slow, sultry smile and had this weird satisfaction of watching Natsuki's fingers trembling while flipping through the pages. She silently reached for her cup and took a long quiet sip, eyes never leaving the blunette. She had to hide her smirk behind the cup when she felt another pair of eyes was looking at her way. _Ara... I have to be careful... I forgot that Natsuki's boss is also here..._

Haruka couldn't help but noticing that smile. It was weird and the way that brunette stared at her friend was a little too intense and _predatory_?—she just lacked of a better word. She tilted her head to look at Natsuki and her friend was looking a little flustered. _The last time I saw her being like this was when she met Mai at the restaurant..._

"I don't think there'll be much problem." Yukino reassured, nodding her head, "What do you think, Fujino-sama?"

Natsuki's eyes instantly searched for those crimson orbs, anxiously waiting as she watched Shizuru played another smile while resting her back against the chair comfortably.

"That's the best you could come out with?"

The room instantly dropped into silence and the tension slowly thickened. Natsuki's brows slowly furrowed and her back straightened at the derisive comment. She caught herself staring into Shizuru's eyes again. There were a lot of things she could see in those eyes and being serious was certainly not in it. Natsuki mentally cursed that brunette. _You wanna play the game, huh Shizuru?_

"Yes. That is the best I can come out with... Is there a problem, Fujino-sama? Or probably you have a better idea regarding the situation?" Natsuki asked back, leaning her arms against the desk. Her gaze was challenging—she wasn't going to let that brunette go that easily.

_Ara... That stare... I should stop now before Natsuki flips this desk... _"No, I don't. That is why I'm hiring you to do the work for me." Shizuru smiled again and Natsuki knew Shizuru was done teasing her.

"And I need a representative from your company to come over to Kyoto with me this Saturday to meet my father. That's the only time he has before leaving to Hong Kong for his conference. We'll start from there and with having my father around, he will tell you what he needs regarding the renovation." Shizuru added, looking back and forth at Haruka and Natsuki. She quietly prayed that Natsuki would volunteer but—

"I'll send my senior designer to assist you." Haruka instantly replied and Natsuki just couldn't help but to smile in relief.

Sometimes Natsuki wondered if Haruka could read her mind or something and she silently felt thankful for that. Actually, she got a plan this weekend and going to Kyoto for work was certainly not a thing she looked forward to. Mai had informed her that Takumi just got back from the hospital and she planned for a dinner together with them.

"Oh? But I think it would be best to have the project analyst to come along too..."

_Hell to the no! _Natsuki's eyes widened at the request and saw Shizuru just quirked up a cute smile—but not that cute at the moment while she was mentally watching her dinner plan shattered right before her eyes.

"I don't think my presence there is strictly required..." Natsuki quickly put on a cute, puppy stare at the brunette while trying to come up with an excuse to exclude herself from going to Kyoto. _It worked on Haruka and I'm pretty sure it will work on her too... Damn this woman..._

Shizuru saw the stare Natsuki was giving—she almost slipped out a giggle. _Stop it, Natsuki... You know that kind of attempt does not really work on me even though you look startlingly cute like that._

Shizuru had expected it coming and she had her own excuse loaded and ready, "Of course your presence is necessary, Kuga-san... You're the project analyst, aren't you? With having you there, you can do all the exact calculation and estimate the cost and time required for the renovation to be successfully completed. Don't you think so, Suzushiro-san?" Shizuru smiled sweetly at Natsuki's annoyed face while turning to look at the blonde.

Haruka who was oblivious to the real meaning behind Shizuru's suggestion quickly gave a curt nod,

"Okay then. You'll go!" Haruka patted at Natsuki's back and Natsuki had her jaw instantly dropped.

"Seriously!?" Natsuki hissed with gritted teeth. Haruka nodded again, determined.

"Fujino-san made a good point though. I'll ask Chie to accompany you. Don't worry about the expenses. I'll get that covered."

Natsuki sighed heavily—it was inevitable. She had to go to Kyoto together with Shizuru this Saturday and she had to come up with a good excuse so Mai wouldn't be mad at her.

"Fine..." Natsuki muttered as she shot a sharp glare at Shizuru who just raised an eyebrow in response to her angry look.

_You're so dead, Fujino Shizuru..._

* * *

><p>The whole meeting resumed with Haruka exchanging conversation with a certain mousy haired woman about the undertaking of their project. They seemed too engrossed with discussing; they didn't seem to even realize that the other two women were also having a conversation—with texting secretly to each other.<p>

—_Dang it, Shizuru! Why did you make me going to Kyoto with you?_

—_Ara? I thought I was just doing my job as the CEO._

—_Right! I thought you said the other day that your father was still the CEO! Why all of sudden you're here? What about Reito's company? Aren't you his share partner though?_

Shizuru could actually feel the anger seeped out from Natsuki's text, like literally. Her crimson orbs flickered at the sight of Natsuki who was _still _glaring at her. Pressing her lips tighter to avoid a giggle from slipping out, Shizuru averted her stare and looked down to her Blackberry—fingers moving rapidly on the keypad, typing on words to reply Natsuki's message.

—_Yes, I did say that but it was a good surprise, wasn't it? :)_

Shizuru could hear Natsuki's frustrated grunt from across the table.

—_And about Reito, just don't worry about it. I will let him know that I'm no longer his share partner and I will step down from his company. Besides, my share in that company isn't that big. _

It took a few moments for Natsuki to reply as she sometimes would turn to look at Haruka and answering some of Yukino's questions regarding the project. Shizuru just remained quiet as she silently sipping on her tea, analyzing the further discussion between them. Later she felt a soft vibration on her lap.

Natsuki had replied.

—_I was wondering... you are the heiress of this hotel chain and yet you had gone all the way to become Reito's business partner? Why?_

Though Natsuki pretended not to look at her way, she knew that Natsuki was watching. Placing down her tea cup, Shizuru secretly typed a reply while occasionally trying to look like she was listening to the whole meeting.

—_I just have a lot time so that's why I helped Reito. Maybe not for long but at least I have learned so many things especially from someone as amazing as your father. And of course I got to meet you. :)_

Shizuru tilted her head slightly to look at Natsuki as she pressed 'Send'. Moments later, she saw Natsuki fumbling for her phone and a smile slowly worked its way on her lips as she read on the text. Shizuru just couldn't help with the fluttering heart inside her chest when she saw Natsuki's smile. She was expecting that blunette to reply but Natsuki just placed down her phone on the table as she turned to focus on Haruka and Yukino.

_I should really focus on my work right now..._ Shizuru mentally laughed as she kept away her phone on her lap and started to listen to the meeting again.

"With that being said, Natsuki-san should do a little briefing with the design team together with the engineering team later..." Yukino said as she closed the ring file and pushed it slightly towards Haruka's direction, "I'm looking forward to work together with you, Haruka-san..."

Haruka took the file and assertively nodded, smiling, "Me too."

Natsuki was about to collect her stuff when she noticed her phone vibrated on the desk.

—_Lunch with me?_

Natsuki tilted her head and she saw Shizuru was talking with Yukino while Haruka was standing right beside them.

—_I wish I could but Haruka and I have planned to lunch together with my other office mates._

Natsuki sighed and she kept her phone away into her pants' pocket. As she approached the others, she saw Shizuru gave her a soft smile and a nod. _She's okay with it, I guess._

"It is a pleasure meeting both of you. Hope this is not the last time." Shizuru approached Haruka and they shook hands.

"Likewise. You too Yukino-san!" Haruka beamed at the shorter woman and Yukino just giggled when Haruka shook her hand a little too strong.

"Yes, Haruka-san. It is an _honour_ to meet you." Yukino raised an eyebrow playfully as she watched how Haruka's cheeks got darker in shade.

Natsuki instantly snorted at Yukino's playful remark and she earned a sharp glare from her blonde friend. "Shut up!" Haruka pushed her roughly as they walked out the door, leaving the other two inside the boardroom.

Silence descended upon them, Shizuru slowly collected her belongings and was ready to leave when Yukino suddenly tugged at her sleeve. Shizuru blinked in surprise when Yukino threw her a curious stare.

"What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Yukino pinched at the bridge of her nose.

"Want to tell me what's going on with you and Natsuki-san?"

* * *

><p>"She's been on nothing but drinking her damn tea throughout the meeting. Are you sure she's even the right descendant of Fujino clan?"<p>

Natsuki just giggled as she walked towards the passenger's side, waiting for Haruka to unlock the car.

"I'm pretty sure she is. Mai told me that Shizuru's parents are also like that. The kitchen crew has to make sure they got a sufficient stock of tea whenever the Fujinos came to visit."

The car gave off a soft beeping sound, indicating it was unlocked and Haruka pulled at the car door.

"Hmph! Such a weirdo... But I really like that chief operating officer..."

"You mean Yukino-san? Yeah, I like her too. She's so polite and soft-spoken..." Natsuki settled on the seat and pulled at the seat-belt, clasping it securely.

Haruka curved up a smile as she closed the door and started the engine, "She's really suitable to be a leader. Not that Fujino! If she was given a country, I'm pretty sure she could handle it well—"

"OH-MY-GOD!"

Haruka instantly turned her head at the startling squeal, "What!?"

Natsuki was grinning, "Now I get it! Your stutter and being all nervous when you were with Yukino-san... You _really-really_ like her, aren't you?"

If one could measure how fast Haruka's cheeks reddened into a full blush, it definitely could be compared with the speed of sound.

"What!? No! I was just admiring her, dammit!"

Haruka's rebuttal was very much expected by Natsuki as the latter just grinned, fuelling more fire of embarrassment inside Haruka.

"Right... You've never talked about someone to this extent! Admiring? That's bullshit! You have never admired anyone, not even your father even though he's such an awesome man!"

Haruka tried her best to ignore Natsuki's teasing a.k.a borderline annoying smile, "Like I said, I was just admiring—"

"Yeah-yeah, keep that crap to other people, Haruka... I've known you for years! If you could easily read my behavior, so do I!" Natsuki smiled again in pure satisfaction, crossing her arms as she leaned against the leather seat comfortably.

Their ride back to their office went quiet and Haruka thought Natsuki had dropped the whole stupid conversation earlier—but she was wrong.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

Haruka's grip on the steering wheel tightened, "No! God! I'm not going to do anything about it!"

Natsuki turned to look at the blonde—her emerald eyes twinkled with this ridiculous amount of 'moe', it almost made Haruka jumped out the car.

"Ask-her-out."

"What!? N-no way!"

"_Yes_ way!"

Haruka sighed as she steered the car into the left-turn intersection, "You're crazy, Kuga! Besides, we never know if she ever swings that way..."

Natsuki just shrugged, "You wouldn't know until you ask."

They had arrived safely at their office parking lot and Haruka pulled up.

"So what do you want me to do? You want me to go and ask her, 'Hey, are you gay because I _really-really_ would like to take you out?'—like that!?" Haruka's hands flailed dramatically and Natsuki just laughed.

"...yes?" Natsuki replied with one brow arched teasingly.

"ARRGHHH!"

* * *

><p>"Reito's stepsister?"<p>

Shizuru gave a nod and smiled, "I was just teasing her earlier. Nothing personal to be honest."

"But the whole texting while me and Haruka-san were discussing? Care to elaborate that?" Yukino raised her brows in inquiring manner.

_Ara? I thought she didn't notice..._ Shizuru chuckled lightly to conceal her surprise, "We were just texting and I promise you that it has nothing to do with the project." Shizuru slowly got up from her chair and she collected her purse and files, ready to leave.

Yukino smiled reassuringly, "I know. I'm not really concerned about that..."

Shizuru paused at her task and she slowly turned to face her best friend. Yukino was smiling again with this kind of smile she had learned way too well to know what it meant. Yukino knew about something and truth to be told, Shizuru was scared of how much that lady had learned. Though Yukino was her best friend, not everything she would rather share with her. Shizuru might appeared to be really friendly to the world because she was trained to do so but her personal matters—it was tightly sealed and hidden away like a national treasure.

"And you're concerning about what?"

Shizuru's question brought another smile to Yukino's face and she quickly waved her hands, "It's nothing... But I want to ask something though..."

Shizuru's reaction turned serious, "What is it?"

"Are you happy?"

It was such an unexpected question—Shizuru was tongue-tied for a moment, "Yes... Of course!"

Her answer was certain and there was no doubt she was happy at the moment. For what reason? She also had no answer.

Yukino nodded a couple of times and smiled as she took all her belongings together, "That's all I want to hear... Come! Let's go out for lunch!"

Shizuru chuckled at Yukino's ecstatic face, "You're just so weird, you know?" Shizuru shook her head while Yukino just giggled.

"Tell me about it... Anyway, what do you think of that CEO of Armitage Tech?"

* * *

><p>"Can we just stop talking about it?"<p>

"Why not?"

"We're in the middle of having lunch!"

"Well... this is the right moment to talk about something like this..."

Natsuki sighed as she took a sip of cold water. Her face was bright red while Haruka who was sitting right beside her also blushing hard.

"What do you expect? You want us to talk about weather? Pfffft~!" Nao laughed.

"They're virgins. That's why they're so uncomfortable to talk about sex—"

"TAKEDA~~!" Both Natsuki and Haruka barked at the spiky haired man and Takeda finally realized that he had slipped out the taboo word. Other customers in that cafe were staring at them, surprised by the sudden ruckus.

_Shit. I'm so dead... _Takeda's smile froze up when both Haruka and Natsuki shot him piercing glare—as if threatening to slit his throat open.

"I need to go to the toilet..." and Takeda scampered away from the table like he was being chased by wild dogs.

Nao already laughed at the unexpected news while Chie tried her best not to laugh—well, both Natsuki and Haruka were still her superior. She might not want them to fire her ass for laughing at them.

"Oh dang! You two are the endangered species! I'll sign you guys up on the dating site. Don't worry..." Chie patted at Natsuki's shoulder and the latter sighed again as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"Please don't. Dating site is just stupid..."

"Yeah..." Haruka added, stealing a piece of Natsuki's sandwiches and ate them with a scowl on her face. Nao and Chie just laughed as they stood up,

"We're going to the counter for a refill. You guys want anything?"

Natsuki quickly took her mug and handed it over to Chie, "Yeah. Refill my mug, please."

"Okay! Be right back in a minute."

They watched them left to the counter—Natsuki sighed again.

"So, how's it going with Tokiha?"

That definitely caught Natsuki's attention as she spun around to look at the blonde. Her brows furrowed into a scowl.

"There's nothing with Tokiha..." Natsuki's tone was sounded slightly dejected and it didn't go unnoticed by Haruka.

"Oh? I thought you guys already started to date or something..."

"No, we're not..." Natsuki reached for a glass which filled with lukewarm water and slowly brought it to her mouth, "I don't even know what we are..." she said before taking a sip.

Haruka stared at Natsuki quietly, relaxing her back against the chair, "Have you talked to her?"

"Almost everyday... Every morning and before I went to sleep..." Natsuki smiled. Her mind was recalling those fun conversations she shared with a certain orange head. They were all mostly about random things—stuff that happened at her work or what kind of customers Mai dealt with the entire day at the restaurant. She never felt bored with it. She never was. She probably could listen to that orange head talking about something as ridiculous as rocket science and still found it interesting.

"Not that talk... Like talk '_talk_'. Have you ever talked about what is going on between you two? You guys never find a closure, right?" Haruka continued while munching on her sandwich.

_Closure? But we never even have anything started..._

Natsuki sighed for the umpteenth times that day, "I don't know... I planned to but I think I have to postpone it..."

Haruka frowned slightly, "Postponed? Why?"

Natsuki tilted her head and gave a sharp glare at the confused blonde, "Because I have to go to Kyoto this Saturday, remember? I have everything planned. We're supposed to have a dinner together at her apartment and you blew up my plan!"

Haruka's hand froze midair—she blinked, "Oh? You should've told me!"

"Yeah-yeah, whatever..." Natsuki rolled her eyes.

Haruka sensed that Natsuki was trying to pull a cold shoulder to her, she started to panic, "Oh come on! I'm not at the wrong side here! I'm just doing my job!"

Natsuki was still ignoring her as she pretended not to listen to that blonde. She took a final bite of her sandwich as she threw her sight out the glass windows.

"Okay! Fine! I'll drop you off this whole Kyoto business, okay? I'll ask Nao to go then!"

Natsuki turned her head and smiled sweetly at the statement, "_Reaaalllyy_?"

Haruka cringed at the startling display of sweetness, "Yes! Just stop smiling like that! It's creepy! But you have to come with me to this meeting!"

Natsuki's smile instantly dropped, "What meeting?"

"Board meeting." Haruka arched one brow while smiling impishly.

Natsuki's back immediately straightened at the news, "No! Meeting with a bunch of grannies and grandpas? No! Na-ah! I'm not going!"

"Then you'll be going to Kyoto. Period."

Natsuki bit her lower lips—breathing in angrily and she finally complied. "Fine. Board meeting then!"

Haruka just smiled sweetly at the reply, "Good. Anyway, why do you have to wait until this Saturday to have a dinner with her?"

"Because it's weekend and both of us are not working?" said Natsuki.

Haruka pouted her lips as she pondered, "Why can't it be tonight? Surprise her. It doesn't have to be all over the top kind of dinner. Just bring something simple like pizzas or burgers to her apartment and have them together. I think she would appreciate it more than a fancy dinner, you know?"

After hearing Haruka's suggestion, a smile slowly worked its way on Natsuki's lips, "Damn! You're right! Why didn't I think about this before? You're a genius! Thank you!"

"Oh well, I know I am!" Haruka laughed as she shrugged her shoulders proudly. Natsuki just chuckled.

"I think I'll do that. Her shift will end at 6.30. She always cooks her dinner around 8.00. If I get there earlier than that, I could surprise her with some take-out food or something so she doesn't have to cook for us."

"There you go! But remember, talk to her about things between you two, okay?"

It made Natsuki went into silence for a moment before she nodded her head hesitantly, "Yeah... I'll try..."

"Trying what? Here is your coffee, Natsuki. Sorry we're late. There is a lot of people at the counter!" Chie and Nao were back at the table as they brought more food and refilled mugs.

"Oh, nothing. We're just talking about stuff. Thanks, Chie."

"Stuff like what?" Nao asked, taking a mouthful of pretzel as she stirred the coffee in her mug.

"Stuff like asking you to go to Kyoto on Natsuki's behalf?" Haruka raised her brows slightly as she took a sip of her coffee.

Nao spitted out the pretzel in her mouth before yelling out an angry, "WHAT!?"

Natsuki smiled mischievously, "You heard the boss. You will be going to Kyoto this Saturday because Haruka needs me for the board meeting."

Nao shot an angry glare at the playful bluenette as she chomped at her pretzel again, "Anyway, I poured my breast milk into your mug."

Natsuki snorted as she continued taking a sip of her coffee, totally unaffected by Nao's words, "Yeah right. Like I will fall for that second time in a row!"

Chie quickly added, "No, really. I think she did. Earlier at the counter, she asked for an extra paper cup and she went to the toilet. Later she came back with a cup of milk and she poured it into your mug, Natsuki—"

"—Oh god~!" Natsuki instantly spitted the coffee back into the cup while Nao and Chie already laughed crazily; the other customers were watching them with amusement.

"Yeah! Take that, Kuga! You're so stupid to fall for my joke again! Hahahahahaha~!"

* * *

><p>"Shizuru-sama! You have a visitor."<p>

Shizuru stopped at her track and she turned to face the receptionist, "A visitor?"

The young receptionist nodded her head and smiled brightly at the surprised brunette, "Yes. He's waiting for you at the lobby."

_Who could it be? I'm not expecting to see anyone in these few days... _Shizuru smiled back nonetheless and she nodded.

"Ask him to meet me in my office. I'll be waiting there." Shizuru said as she walked towards the elevator and pressed at the 'UP' button. She didn't have to wait for long as the door opened as soon as the button was pressed. She took a calm walk into the elevator and stood there silently, watching the numbers on the digital screen slowly increased.

Her office was at the top floor—she requested it. Away from the noise; away from everything. She hadn't visited this office ever since she became Reito's share partner. But now, her father decided to let her be in charge of the hotel management so that he could focus on his other business. She was not in the position to complain since she was more than ready to take over the hotel and with Yukino as her right-hand man, she was sure she could handle it just fine.

For her first task as the new CEO of Windbloom Regency Hotel, her father asked her to manage the hotel renovation project. He wanted it to be represented in a more modern and fresher look. When she heard her task, the first thing that came to her mind was where could she find the best contractor to handle the project because her father was such a fussy man.

Maybe luck was on her side after all when her secretary brought a company profile which she was very much familiar with: Armitage Tech.

It was a chance to work with Natsuki and Shizuru just couldn't hold the temptation.

She didn't wait any longer to propose the company profile to Yukino so she could get the approval from her best friend who also happened to be the Chief Operating Officer of that hotel. Though Yukino was a bit suspicious with her decision, she was glad that Yukino finally came down to her term.

And everything came to the moment when she was watching the young blunette doing her presentation earlier that morning. She didn't know why. She just felt like teasing the poor blunette and somehow it gave her this weird feeling of happiness.

Or fulfillment, she might add.

Natsuki's work was exceptional but she had to tease her. She just had to and it confused her. She just didn't know the reason behind her action. Maybe she never would understand. But she didn't want to lose that feeling. It was way too wonderful and it made her feel like a high school student.

A love-struck high school student.

Shizuru's eyes widened at her own thought. _W-what? What am I thinking? She's Reito's step-sister, for god sake! Stop this insanity at once, Fujino Shizuru!_

She shook her head vigorously, trying to get the thought off her mind as the elevator gave off a soft ding. The door slowly opened and revealed a long corridor which led to her office. She took another long quiet walk along the corridor and as she stopped by the door, Shizuru sighed again. _And she's a girl, Shizuru... what are you even thinking?_

She couldn't quite understand how Natsuki could go from being a stranger to her to someone she was constantly thinking about. Sometimes she just spaced out, and she found herself thinking about Natsuki again. It was like the moment she started talking to her, she just couldn't get enough. She just wanted more of her. And as of now, it just needed to stop because it was becoming destructive.

The over thinking, the expectations—the 'what ifs'.

Pushing the heavy mahogany open, Shizuru walked into the room and silently shut the door behind her. Soft clacking sound of her heels resonated across the office as she walked towards her desk and placed her purse and phone on the table. She didn't have to wait long when the door was being knocked from outside. _Oh, maybe that visitor the receptionist told me earlier..._

"Come in." Shizuru called as she took off her suit and hung it on her chair.

"Hi, Shizuru."

Shizuru instantly tilted her head up and her eyes widened at the unexpected guest.

"Reito!"

* * *

><p>They sat quietly at the sofa, sitting across each other, hands holding up a cup which filled with hot tea.<p>

Shizuru scrutinized the young man before her. His hair was slightly disheveled, his face was unshaven, dark circles around his eyes—Reito looked ridiculously untidy and Shizuru started to feel worried. _He looks like a homeless man... What is going on with you, Reito?_

"I thought you said you're going to stay in Germany for a week..."

Reito meekly smiled as he took a slow sip of his tea, "I am supposed to but I have finished my work early. My father let me off today."

Shizuru's brows furrowed slightly, "You came here as soon as you arrived? Shouldn't you be resting at home right now? You look really tired, Reito..."

"That can wait. I have to see you."

Shizuru quickly silenced at Reito's words and she fixated her stare at the young man, "You have seen me now." She paused with a smile, "Go home, Reito. Have some rest. You look terrible..."

"I know... I just couldn't sleep these past few days. With work and everything..." He paused, staring outside the windows with a distant stare.

Silence filled the room again—they found themselves no longer looking at each other.

"If you want time... I'll give you time."

Shizuru noticed the change in his tone and she knew exactly what it meant. Her eyes shot up to look as Reito slowly stood up from the sofa and walked towards the windows. He stopped by the glass and pressed his palm against the cold surface.

"I will sort myself out so I can be the best man for you. Someone who deserves you and you will get the best of me."

Her mouth sought words to speak but came up empty—she took a deep breath and shaking her head,

"Reito..."

Reito turned around slightly to face Shizuru again, smiling,

"All we need is time. I'm going to give you that and I hope you will do the same for me. While at that, I hope you can promise me one thing..." He said as he walked back to the sofa and sat across the brunette. He clasped his hands together, taking another deep breath as he hung his head low.

He looked like he was praying, Shizuru thought. But thinking that it might also because of him just got back from Germany, he probably was still having a jet lag. Shizuru just watched Reito quietly as she waited. The sound of traffic blared outside the window, breaking the silence between them even though her office was on the 35th floor.

"Reito... what is it?" Shizuru watched Reito's body heaved up slightly as he took another deep breath.

Reito gradually raised his head—he kept his steely gaze trained on hers,

"Please don't fall in love with someone else..."

And at that very moment, Shizuru knew by heart that she couldn't even make the promise.

* * *

><p>"WHAT!?"<p>

Takumi frowned at the loud yell coming from the room which was occupied by a certain orange haired woman. Later, the door was being yanked forcefully from inside, revealing his older sister in a bewildering state. Her hair was slightly tousled as she breathed hard like she had finished a 100m dash.

"What happened, 'nee-chan?" Takumi asked, "Are you okay?"

It took quite a moment for Mai to reply as she grinned sheepishly, "Yeah. I'm alright." She walked towards her brother who was currently watching the news. She flopped down onto the sofa next to him and continued to grin—sparking more curiosity from her younger brother.

Mai knew that Takumi would keep on questioning her weird behaviour—not like she could keep it as a secret any longer.

"Remember the internship program in Paris I told you the other day?"

Takumi gave a curt nod as his brows furrowed slightly.

"I got it."

Takumi's eyes widened in an instant as his mouth opened and closed a few times, mouthing out inaudible squeal of happiness. He threw himself to hug Mai—they shared happy laughs.

"Wow!"

"Yeah, wow!" Mai giggled at Takumi's face, "And guess what? You're coming with me!"

The room quickly fell into silence—Takumi released his hold around Mai as he shook his head.

"You know I can't... I have a schedule of treatments that I need to follow here, 'nee-chan..."

Mai grinned, "There are hospitals in France too, in case you didn't know..."

Takumi chuckled as he shook his head, "And expensive too." He sighed, "You go. I can handle myself just fine, onee-chan..."

"Right... Like you suddenly collapsed earlier this morning? Oh, that sounded like you _really_ could handle yourself just fine, eh?" Mai added with sarcastic tone while Takumi already blushed in embarrassment.

Mai sighed and a soft smile adorned her beautiful face. She reached out her hand, petting his head endearingly, "I'm not going to leave you. We have talked about this so many times, right?"

Takumi knew his sister was determined and he had learned the stubbornness way too well that if he insisted to stay, Mai probably would reject the internship offer without having a second thought.

"My French is terrible, 'nee-chan..."

"Then we'll be terrible together!" They shared hearty laughs—nothing could be happier with having your family around but something was bothering her mind ever since the news of her internship reached her ear.

_How am I going to tell Natsuki...?_

Ding-dong!

Both Mai and Takumi instantly turned to look at the doorway which led to the front door.

"Did you order anything, Takumi?" Mai slowly got off the couch and she walked towards the door.

"No. I thought you said you want to cook something for dinner," Takumi said.

Mai pouted at the reply as she reached for the knob. When she saw who was at the door, her jaw dropped slightly and her eyes widened in pure surprise.

"Hey!"

* * *

><p>Pizzas were always good—every time. Especially when you're eating it for free.<p>

"I haven't had this for a long time, Natsuki-san..." Takumi reached for another slice of pepperoni pizza and placed it on his plate. He flashed a toothy grin at the raven haired woman who was sitting across him with 2 boxes of regular pizza on the table; hot and ready to be devoured.

Natsuki chuckled at the apparent bliss on Takumi's face. Takumi was obviously enjoying the food. Natsuki couldn't be more than glad that she decided to visit and brought together some pizzas for their dinner.

"They're all yours, Takumi! If they're not enough, we can always call for a delivery!"

"Oh no, do not encourage him, Natsuki. Takumi, remember what the doctor said?" Mai shot a warning glare at the younger boy—Takumi just shrugged his shoulders with a grin.

Natsuki scoffed lightly, "Come on! Cut him some slack. His tongue is going to get numb with all these pills he's been taking."

Mai turned to face the blunette beside her and arched one brow, "You're pampering him, Natsuki..."

"As long as he never skips his meds, I don't think a few pieces of pizza would do him any harm. Right, Takumi?"

Takumi instantly nodded his head and he quickly chuckled when Mai shot him another glare.

"Anyway, would you like to drink anything?"

Natsuki pondered momentarily, "Yeah, a cup of tea would be nice."

Hearing it came from Natsuki, Mai pulled her head back slightly and gave an inquiring look at the blunette, "Tea? Since when?"

Natsuki just smiled, "I don't know. I feel like it..."

"I remember you said tea is for old people!" Mai chuckled at the absurd request.

"Well, considering that I am getting older, I think my taste bud is also having an evolution." Natsuki grinned while Mai already burst into laugh.

"Okay, just give me 10 minutes."

Natsuki watched Mai walked towards the kitchen—her lips curved up into a wide smile. It had been a while since they had a gathering like this, eating pizza or sometimes burgers and fries together. Natsuki turned to look at Takumi—surprisingly enough, he was already on his fourth slice. Maybe he did haven't had pizza for a very long time, considering how brutally strict Mai could be when it came to his health.

Natsuki was really cared for Takumi. It wasn't only because he was Mai's little brother. They had spent their early days together and truth to be told, she got along a lot better with Takumi instead of Reito. She remembered years ago when she was assigned to take care of Takumi when that boy was only 12 because Mai had to work part-time, that boy collapsed while they were playing PS2 in her room. Natsuki panicked—she thought Takumi was dead. Thankfully, Saeko was there and they took Takumi to the hospital.

Though it was only one time, Natsuki finally understood of what Mai had to go through every single day. Living with a constant reminder of how severe your little brother's condition, it was like living with a time-bomb, but with no exact time ticking on it.

"How's your treatment going, Takumi?"

Takumi gradually slowed his munching, "It's going well. The doctor said that my heart is functioning a lot better than the last time I was admitted."

Natsuki smiled in relief, "That is a very good news to hear. My mom would love to see you. She has been bugging me to take her to visit you in the hospital. I just didn't want to disturb you with your treatment."

Takumi laughed because he actually could picture how Saeko would nag at Natsuki. He missed that older woman dearly and just couldn't wait to see her again when Mai told him she had met Saeko at the hotel the other day.

"We'll arrange a dinner or something at my house this weekend, what do you say?"

Takumi quickly nodded his head in approval, "I would love too! Besides, it is the best time because we probably wouldn't see each other again for a very long time."

The news hit her hard, Natsuki instantly frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Onee-chan got an offer for an internship..." Takumi paused when he saw Natsuki's face changed drastically, "...in Paris."

Natsuki felt her heart stopped at that very moment; her breath drew ragged. She tore her eyes away from staring directly into Takumi's eyes—she felt like those eyes were like reading her like an open book.

"How long?"

It was hard to talk when you felt like a giant lump residing inside your throat. Natsuki swallowed again, waiting for the answer she was dreaded to hear.

"6 months or maybe more... 2 years maximum..."

2 years—it sounded so short but hell, it was like 2000 years to her.

"Oh, okay..."

That was all she managed to utter. The approaching footsteps halted her intention to ask more and she quickly turned around, finding Mai walked out the kitchen with a small tray in her hands.

"Here's your tea, grandma." Mai placed a cup on the small coffee table in front of Natsuki, eliciting a small chuckle from that blunette.

"Thanks!" said Natsuki as she quickly reached for the cup—suddenly she felt her throat was excruciatingly thirsty. Mai settled on her previous spot; right next to Natsuki and she was about to take a piece of pizza when Natsuki asked,

"You're leaving again?"

Mai snapped her head around, finding Natsuki's eyes trained on hers with this look she had learned too well to know the meaning behind it. Her own eyes moved quickly to find Takumi's and the young boy quickly lowered his head in guilt. He knew Mai was upset—maybe not yet but he knew she was getting there.

"I meant to inform you about it..."

A smile and a nod—it wasn't the reaction she expected. The look she saw earlier was quickly replaced with a new one—aloof and distant, complemented with a fake smile. Mai felt her heart tugged slightly and it was painful.

"Well, congratulations!" Natsuki smiled, "You deserve it more than anyone else! Don't blow it."

It was confusing. Natsuki was confusing her. One moment she looked like she was about to flip the table, shredding the apartment in pieces, tearing the world in two. But now, she was all smiling—fake smiles and Mai didn't have to know what was going on in Natsuki's mind.

Natsuki was angry; terribly angry and Mai had to think of something to neutralize her temper. Dealing with a pissed off Natsuki wasn't really lovely—she reminded herself through her own past experience.

"And I hope you would come and visit us there." Mai paused as she took a glance for Natsuki's reaction, and thank god, she saw Natsuki smiled—the one which always made her heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah, sure."

Mai mentally sighed in relief. She reached for a pizza again when she noticed she had forgotten something back in the kitchen; her cell phone.

"Oh, I forgot my own phone! Be right back!" Mai skipped into the kitchen—Takumi quickly called for Natsuki. The latter just raised her brows questioningly.

"Natsuki-san...?"

"Hm?"

Takumi seemed hesitated to speak further when Natsuki trained her eyes on him.

"Please don't leave her..."

Her emerald eyes fixated at the young boy; Natsuki was stunned at the unexpected request. She thought Mai was the one who was leaving for Paris, but then she realized the real meaning behind Takumi's words. She shook her head slightly.

"I never did..." Natsuki paused with a smile, "She was the one who walked away..."

"I know..." Takumi lowered his head, staring at the carpet as he fiddled the wayward strands with his fingers. Silence claimed the atmosphere, they could hear Mai's voice coming from the kitchen—she was probably talking on the phone.

"I promise."

Takumi raised his head and found Natsuki was smiling at him.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>It was late—Mai made her stay for a dessert which she couldn't resist and she headed home at 1.30 in the morning.<p>

Keys jingled in her hand as she took a slow walk into the mansion. _Mom is probably sleeping right now..._

Natsuki rolled her shoulders, freeing her arms from the sleeves of her jacket and she tossed it on the sofa before making her way towards the kitchen. It was dark and she quickly reached for the switch panel. The kitchen brightened in a second—Natsuki almost jumped at her feet when she saw a figure sitting at the table.

"What the fu—_Reito!_" Natsuki breathed hard, "You scared the hell out of me!"

Reito just gave off a snort in response of Natsuki's outburst. He raised the can in his right hand—chugging the liquid in a few gulps before crushing it and tossed it away into the sink. He reached for another can and easily opened it, giving of a loud hissing sound before taking the can closer to his lips. He took a long sip and let out a loud sigh of satisfaction.

Natsuki stared at Reito—it didn't take a genius to know that he was beyond drunk. By the amount of crumpled cans inside the sink, Natsuki knew that if he didn't stop now, he would have the nastiest hangover the next morning.

"Okay, that's enough, man. You're going to puke your brain out tomorrow morning if you don't stop now." Natsuki took away the remaining beer cans and she quickly kept them into the fridge.

"Oi! Give me back!" Reito tried to reach out but his legs were swaying and he couldn't keep his balance; he almost stumbled over the table. Natsuki pushed him back onto the chair and placed a tall glass of water in front of him.

"Drink this!" She demanded, staring incredulously at the intoxicated glare and a lopsided grin Reito was giving.

"Thank you, Tsuki-chan!"

Natsuki stiffened upon hearing the name—Reito hadn't called her that for years. But she decided to ignore it. It didn't mean anything to her and probably never would.

"Yeah-yeah!" Natsuki went to sit across the table and kept her eyes on Reito as he obediently took a sip of water, much to her surprise. She could just leave him alone and went back to her own room—but she just couldn't do that. Reito was drunk, she wasn't. As much as she wanted to see Reito waking up inside the dog house or at the garage, that silly man probably could injure himself if she let him wandered around the mansion in such intoxicated state.

"Oi, finish it. You got another 3 glasses before you go to sleep!" Natsuki practically barked at Reito when he stopped with his glass half-full.

"Sorry..." Reito mumbled softly before he continued drinking.

A smirk slowly adorned Natsuki's face—it was a rare chance for her to see Reito in his drunken state and being so surprisingly submissive. _What if I ask him to wash my bike? Would he do it?_

"Shizuru is so painfully traditional. Up until this moment, we never went pass the first base."

Natsuki blinked her eyes a couple of times at the surprising revelation, "And... for what purpose you're telling me this?"

"Because I want you to know how freaking painful it is being Shizuru's boyfriend!" Reito whined loudly as he banged his head against the dining table.

"For so long we've been together... I only got a kiss. ON THE FUCKING CHEEK!"

Natsuki just couldn't hold herself from laughing, "You've got to be kidding me... How long have you been with each other?"

Reito slowly tilted his head up—his forehead was reddened slightly. He rested his chin against the table as he mumbled,

"Officially on date for almost a year now... Being friends since college..."

"And yet you never even got a chance to touch her boobs?"

Reito pouted as he shook his head, "Nope." he hiccuped.

Natsuki giggled again—Reito instantly frowned, "Stop laughing!"

Natsuki never thought that having a conversation with a drunken Reito could be this interesting. _I think I should make him drunk more often in the future... _She chuckled again.

"That's some crazy self-control your have there, big brother. I'm so proud of you." She snickered when she saw Reito continued to frown.

"I tried. But there were instances where she was the one who shut everything down. We were right in the mood and then she would be like, 'Okay. Let's save this for our marriage.' I mean like what the hell? Who would even do that in this 21st century!?"

"Your girlfriend would!"

"URGHHH!" Reito grunted in frustration as he scratched his head frantically.

The kitchen went quiet for a few moments until Reito started to sob.

"Ne, Tsuki-chan..."

"Yeah?"

"Am I a bad person?"

Realizing where this conversation could lead, Natsuki instantly got off her chair, "Oh no... We're not doing this talk while you're freaking drunk, Reito!"

"Please... tell me."

Reito's insistent sobs finally won her over. Natsuki sighed heavily as she flopped into her chair again, "No, you're not a bad person... You're just painfully annoying... Not to mention that you're trying to pull me into this stupid talk!"

"Then why Shizuru wants to break up with me? What did I do wrong?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Reito wiped the tears on his face—Natsuki felt like laughing again. He just looked so ridiculously hilarious but since they were having a serious drunken conversation; Natsuki decided that she should save her laugh for later.

"She won't talk... I know she won't."

Natsuki sighed for the umpteenth times, "Did you even try?"

Reito was hiccupping again, "No. Not yet..."

"Then how the hell you could possibly know what she thinks?" Natsuki arched one brow questioningly.

They went quiet for a few seconds—Reito threw his head back as he spoke, his eyes drew heavy.

"I'm scared of what she's going to say..."

Reito's words hit Natsuki hard and it felt a little close to home for her liking. She had been thinking of the same thing. The thing between her and Mai—she never had any definite answer. Mai had kept her hanging for far too long and now she was scared.

She scared of what Mai's answer would be.

Was Mai in love with her or was it only one-sided? The fear started to fill her chest—it slowly tightened with anxiety.

They went into silence again—Natsuki noticed Reito's declining state and decided it was best for them to stop. She slowly walked towards Reito and gently pulled at his arm.

"Come on. Let me take you to your room."

Reito complied as he struggled to stand up—Natsuki quickly flung her right arm around Reito's shoulder to keep him steady. Natsuki thought it would be impossible to take Reito upstairs; she took him to the TV room instead.

Reito lied down on the sofa bed, sighing as he tossed around a few times, trying to make himself comfortable. Natsuki went to the guest room and she took a blanket. Moments later she came back and she draped it on Reito.

"Thank you, Tsuki-chan..." Reito mumbled incoherently but comprehensibly enough for Natsuki to understand. She didn't have to wait for long as Reito already dozed off as soon as he closed his eyes. Natsuki just shook her head in amusement.

"You are so nice when you're drunk, you know? I wish you're always like this. But yeah, you'll die sooner with that amount of alcohol. So...whatever."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay... this chapter came out way too long than I intended. Hope it didn't bore you guys to death. <strong>

**Thank you very much for your encouraging and lovely reviews on the previous chapter. I'm extremely thankful and I just wish I could reply to each and everyone of you personally. T_T**

**Last but not least, review anyone?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone! Happy reading! ^_^**

**A big shout out to my beta: Ookami-san!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not the owner of Mai Hime/Sunrise.****  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is…<strong>

**Chapter 10**

"I love you, Haruka..."

"Yeah yeah... I know that already. But the answer is still NO."

"Oh, come on! It's just a meeting between directors. It's not like they need me there!"

"Yes, they don't need you. But I do."

Silence descended upon them—Natsuki dramatically placed her palm against her chest as her eyelashes fluttered.

"If it wasn't because of your stupid obsession with Mariah Carey, I probably could've fallen in love with you."

Haruka's hand froze, her writing stopped—she tilted her head up instantly to shoot an incredulous stare at the grinning blunette across the table.

"Gross!"

Natsuki laughed loudly as she walked over and sat right next to the blonde. The second Natsuki blew out a heavy breath, Haruka knew from instincts that her dear friend had something on her mind.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I think so..."

"What do you mean 'you think so'?"

A long silence ensued, Natsuki sighed heavily.

"She'll be leaving—again."

Haruka's hand stopped for the second time that morning and she tilted her head to look at the blunette on her right. It didn't take her long to realize who Natsuki was referring to.

"How long?"

Natsuki shrugged, "Dunno... Could be months, years..."

Haruka softly tapped the desk with her pen, "Have you talked to her?"

Natsuki pursed her lips tight; she shook her head. It was Haruka's turn to sigh.

"Seriously, I'm _done_ reminding you. Suit yourself! Don't come crying to me later—"

_Knock! Knock!_

Their conversation was interrupted by a couple of knocks on the door—both of them turned to look at it, waiting for a person to walk in.

"Nao?" Natsuki quirked her brows in surprise when she saw that Nao's eyes were puffy and slightly reddened. It was rare to see the red head in such a condition, so Haruka and Natsuki started to worry.

"What's going on?"

Nao was sobbing as she walked towards them, "C-can I ask for a half-day today?"

Natsuki quickly walked towards Nao as she handed her a handkerchief, "Is everything okay?"

"My mom... she's in the hospital."

* * *

><p>He picked up the small note on the desk and struggled to read the words as his eyes were still heavy—they were stinging painfully as if something was poking inside out.<p>

"Drink this right after you wake up..." he muttered. As he dropped his hand, he saw a bottle of lemon-flavoured Gatorade next to where he found that note. He crumpled the little piece of paper inside his palm and reached for the bottle. His fingers trembled slightly as he worked to open the cap—a soft hissing sound echoing across the room signaled his success.

He took a small sip at first, tasting the fizzy liquid, swirling it inside his mouth—he swallowed.

_Not bad... _He mused with a smile as he took another sip and another one after. His throbbing headache slowly lessened, much to his surprise. His mind also started to clear as remnants of the previous night slowly came back—he sighed heavily. Though he couldn't really remember the whole conversation, a few of them came back and he recalled that it was Natsuki who took him safely to bed last night.

_That is so embarrassing... Hope I didn't say anything stupid in front of her. _Reito sighed again as he took a mouthful of Gatorade and capped it back securely before placing it atop the desk. He was about to get off of the bed when a soft knock on the door caught his attention. One moment later, a raven-haired woman walked into the room with a small tray in her hands.

"Ara, Reito-kun? You're awake already? How are you feeling?" Saeko walked towards the bed, putting down the tray on the small table beside it.

Reito worked up a smile and nodded his head slightly, "Better. Thank you, mother. Anyway, what is that?" he gestured at the tray—a teapot and a small china cup.

Saeko just smiled, "That's ginger tea." She paused, "Natsuki told me that you were drunk last night. She asked me to take care of you..."

There was a long silence between them. Reito just lowered his head, "I see."

"I guess she left this too?" Saeko asked, shaking the small Gatorade bottle with a cheeky smile. Reito just kept mum—Saeko already had her answer. She walked to the bed and quietly sat right beside Reito, sighing.

"She can be a little insufferable sometimes... and this is coming from her own mother..."

Reito couldn't help but smile at the comment.

"But she cares about you... a lot more than you think."

Reito's fingers moved to grasp onto the bed sheet but he just remained silent. Saeko's long sigh caught his attention—he quickly turned to look and saw a soft smile on her.

"I watched you two grow up—so close to each other, but then..." Saeko paused as she took another deep breath, "Suddenly you two became so distant... I wonder what went wrong. Maybe it's none of my business since you two are adults now; and I won't ask further if you have no intention of telling..."

"No, it's not like that, mother..." Reito rubbed his forehead, sighing in dismay, "I honestly don't know where to start... It's complicated..."

Saeko smiled again as she patted Reito's shoulder tenderly, "It's okay. I'm not going to force you. Besides, you're still not well from your hangover. We'll talk about this later, yes?" she placed her palm against Reito's cheek as a final gesture before she walked towards the door.

"Mother…"

Saeko's hand froze at the knob—she pivoted her heels and saw Reito hanging his head low—hands grasping onto the bed sheet desperately. Her brows involuntarily raised in surprise at the soft murmur which came after.

"I'll tell you everything…"

* * *

><p>"Asthma attack?"<p>

She nodded, blowing her nose again. Natsuki reached for another piece of tissue at the reception counter and handed it over to the redhead. They were sitting at the hallway which led to the emergency room. Nao's mother had been in the room for an hour since they rushed there from the office.

While waiting outside, drinking coffee, there was another emergency in the ER. The nurses and doctors were rushing in, moving back and forth along the hallway. Nao was too immersed in her own thoughts and the coffee in her hand while Natsuki couldn't really focus with all the noises around her—the sound of rolling carts and stretchers, dreary talks and hasty footsteps. She never was a fan of hospitals. She hated them.

"How long has it been?"

It took a moment for Nao to answer—her stare had been locked to the floor for quite some time and Natsuki just didn't know what she had to do to comfort the redhead.

"Since I was in high-school."

Nao paused as she straightened her back against the wall—her eyes were red but there were no more traces of tears. _Maybe she was done crying_, Natsuki thought.

"She was fine all this time... with all the medication and stuff... I wonder what triggered it back..."

Natsuki could feel her heart sink deeply when she saw tears starting to well in those lime-green eyes. She reached out, patting Nao's head gently, "Hey, your mom is going to be okay... I promise—"

"Nao-chan?"

Both of them turned at the call and saw a dark-haired woman in a white coat walking towards them with a smile on her face. Natsuki felt her heart ease up a little when she saw the doctor's smile. _There's no way a doctor would smile like that if she comes with a bad news, right? Unless she's a creepy, psychotic and crazy doctor. _Natsuki mulled silently as she watched Nao rush towards said doctor.

"Youko-sensei! How's my mother!?"

Another smile and a nod—Nao's prayers were heard.

She quickly went to grab on the doctor's coat into a hug—Natsuki just couldn't hide a smile at the endearing scene before her.

"Anyway, who is that? Your new girlfriend?" Youko asked as she released her hold around Nao. Her eyes flickered with interest as she fixed her gaze on Natsuki.

The reaction which came from both of them was spontaneous and very much alike.

"NOOOO!"

Youko couldn't hold her giggle while Natsuki and Nao glared at each other like they were about to strangle each other's neck.

"Anyway, I'm going to transfer your mother to her room. You can visit her shortly." Youko said as she patted Nao's shoulder. Nao nodded curtly.

Youko walked over to Natsuki and she held out her right hand, "It's nice to meet you, miss...?"

Natsuki quickly grabbed the hand and shook it as she lowered her head slightly, introducing herself, "Natsuki. Kuga Natsuki!"

Youko seemed stunned momentarily—her head tilted to the side, brows twitched as if she was trying to recall something.

"Don't tell me that you're Kuga Saeko's daughter?"

"Well, I'm afraid I am..." Natsuki quickly smiled at the mention of her mother's name. She knew her mother was famous—but not _THIS_ famous; it was like every single person in Japan knew who she was!

Youko laughed as she grasped both of Natsuki's hands, who was startled but amused at the same time.

"No wonder you look so much like her! I meant to ask you about it earlier but I was afraid that I might be wrong! How is your mother anyway?"

"Um, good?" Natsuki grinned awkwardly—she was a tad uncomfortable with friendly gestures, especially when it came from strangers.

Youko nodded a few times as she released her grasp, "Good, good! Anyway, please send my regards to her. Tell her that her junior from college says hi!"

Natsuki smiled back and gave a short bow, "Will do! But I didn't get your name..."

Youko playfully slapped her forehead, "Haha, I'm sorry. My name is Sagisawa Youko! It's a pleasure to meet you, Natsuki-san!" Youko paused and shot a short glance at Nao—the redhead quickly quirked up an eyebrow in confusion.

Youko leaned closer to Natsuki as she whispered, "Take care of Nao-chan, yes?"

Too bad Nao had heard it too, "Oh my god! She's not my girlfriend! Geez!"

But Youko already skipped away from them with a happy laugh. Nao was fuming.

"Stupid old lady..." Nao grumbled as she flopped onto the chair, sulking.

"You know she was just teasing you, right?" Natsuki laughed as she took a seat next to Nao and let out a long relieved sigh.

Nao just grumbled incoherently in response. They fell into quick silence until Natsuki started to speak again.

"Anyway, about the meeting in Kyoto this Saturday..."

Nao quickly tilted her head to look at the blunette—Natsuki smiled.

"I'll take care of it."

* * *

><p>She pulled at the heavy door, peeking inside the cold, confined space and took a deep breath.<p>

"What should I cook for tonight...?" she muttered, obviously to herself. The refrigerator was almost empty. She definitely needed to do a little bit of shopping tomorrow.

She found a few vegetables in the refrigerator drawer—tomatoes, baby cos lettuces and cucumbers—and decided to make a salad. She took out all the ingredients needed for said salad and placed them on the counter. Making a salad was definitely for the best because she didn't want to waste a lot of food by cooking something fancy since she was going to have her dinner alone.

Alone—suddenly that word sounded so painful to her. It wasn't like she never had dinner by herself before. It was like a routine most days and it never once bothered her. But tonight, she wondered why it suddenly stung so hard.

She chopped a tomato meticulously, tossed it into a bowl and moved on to a cucumber. As she diced up the cucumber, her brows slowly twitched into a soft frown. Underneath the even sound of the knife against the cutting board, she thought she heard knocks at her door. She halted her chopping and waited—it was quiet.

_Maybe the neighbours... _She picked up the knife and was about to start chopping again when she heard another round of knocks—louder than earlier and she was sure that it was definitely at her door.

She wiped her hands on a dishcloth and glanced at the clock—8.10 pm. She wondered who it might be.

She opened the door as much as her string lock allowed.

"Hey!"

* * *

><p>She closed the door and slid the key into the ignition and started the car—the engine roared into life.<p>

"You should've called me earlier. I was in the middle of cooking dinner and you suddenly appeared at my door..."

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I called, right? Anyway, what were you cooking?"

Shizuru smiled as she pulled at the seat belt, "I wasn't really cooking. I was preparing to make a salad."

"Salad? Eww!"

Shizuru shook her head at the naughty grin displayed on Natsuki's face. She just couldn't help but to giggle.

"Have you eaten?" Shizuru shifted the gear, the car slowly moved and she drove to the main road.

Natsuki bit her lower lips, shaking her head slightly, "Nope. Kinda boring tonight... My mom, dad and Reito are out for a dinner together..."

"Why didn't you join them?" Shizuru asked, out of curiosity.

"Didn't feel like it..." Natsuki sighed, "Anyway, may I?"

Shizuru's brows quirked slightly at the request. She saw Natsuki pointing at the music player and quickly nodded, "Yes, sure!"

Natsuki pressed the small red button—a high-pitched voice blared in a very high volume—Natsuki literally jumped in her seat in pure shock.

"MARIAH CAREY!? REALLY!?"

—and who would've thought Shizuru could laugh even louder?

* * *

><p>"Aoi-chan!"<p>

Both of them started screaming, jumping up and down as they hugged each other at the corridor.

"How did you find me? Oh my god! I haven't seen you in years!" Mai was on the verge of crying as she cupped Aoi's face and started to laugh again.

Aoi used her sleeves to wipe dry her tears, "Well, let just say that I have a girlfriend who is really good at finding information..."

Mai giggled but she quickly pulled the brunette into her apartment, "As much as I wanted to scream more, I'm afraid that my neighbours would scream together with us if we stay outside much longer! Come! I'm about to cook my dinner. You have to join me!"

Aoi grinned wider as she settled on the small chair at the kitchen counter, "You don't even need to ask, Mai-chan!"

* * *

><p>Shizuru's jaw dropped slightly as she stared at the small, rustic looking ramen shop which stood right before her.<p>

"What are you doing?" Natsuki went to stand beside Shizuru and looked back and forth from the brunette to the building.

"I thought you were going to ask me to drive you to McDonalds or something similar..."

Natsuki's brows instantly twitched at the comment, "What? Don't be ridiculous! One bowl of this ramen is 100 times better than 10 double cheese burgers."

Shizuru just laughed, "Ara, I thought since Natsuki had been staying in UK for so long, maybe Natsuki would prefer something more 'western'?"

"Too much burgers and fries will make you fat." Natsuki wrinkled her nose as she shook her head. She pushed the sliding door open and stepped back, gesturing Shizuru to walk before her. Shizuru's lips quietly tugged upwards at the polite gesture.

"Let's get inside. I'm starving!"

* * *

><p>Soft jazz music was playing in the background as the three of them sat quietly at the table, waiting for the main course to be served. They were done with their appetizer minutes earlier—Reito called for the waiter to pour them more wine.<p>

"2009 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, sir?" the waiter held up an expensive looking bottle to Reito. He quickly nodded.

"Yes, please."

The waiter smiled as he bowed before he started to pour the wine into each glass on the table. After he finished with his task, he placed the bottle into the ice bucket.

"Are you planning to get drunk again?"

Reito's golden orbs flickered at the pair of eyes before him, which stared back with the same intensity. He lowered his head when Keisuke held his gaze much longer than he possibly could. Not to mention his stare was nerve-racking. Reito quietly swallowed the small lump which had grown even bigger every time Keisuke fixed his eyes on him.

"I'm sorry..."

Keisuke didn't respond to the apology nor paid any attention to it. He just stared at his wine glass, swirling the red liquid before taking another short sip.

Saeko could feel the tension—so thick that it could be sliced with a butter knife. She just stared at the two men from across the table. She was unsure of what to do or say to them; they seemed to be in their own world. Finally when she caught Keisuke's eyes on hers, she did what she does best—puppy eyes attack!

She watched Keisuke's brows slowly loosen their knot and relax. The man blew a heavy sigh—Saeko had won.

"Your mother told me that Shizuru is breaking up with you."

It felt like someone was pouring acid into an open wound—Reito bit his lower lips and he nodded.

"It was my mistake."

Keisuke took a deep breath. It was inevitable. Reito had a notorious record for having so many girlfriends that he couldn't even remember how many. Let alone their names. But he was really fond of Shizuru. He thought that the young lady would be the last and maybe they would end up with the beautiful marriage he always wished to see.

"But I'll try to work it out with her! I decided to give her time for herself and I could sort things up... Maybe she thought I wasn't being serious with our relationship... Maybe she thought that I was taking us for granted. I can't blame her for that because of my history with women..."

The table went quiet momentarily when the waiter served them the main course.

"What did you plan to do?" Keisuke asked as soon as the waiter left.

Reito's lips curved up into a smile as he picked up his cutlery.

"I'll propose to her..."

* * *

><p>"How is she doing?"<p>

"Who?"

"You know who I'm talking about..."

Mai paused, staring back at the pool of cerulean blue before her. Aoi's stare was stubborn and she knew Aoi would keep questioning over and over again if she didn't give her at least one satisfying answer.

"She's doing good..." Mai said, nodding her head a few times as she jabbed at her salad, "And she has gotten even hotter than the last time I saw her..." Mai chuckled as she arched one brow playfully. Aoi quickly laughed.

"So...?"

"So what?"

Aoi rolled her eyes as she sighed heavily, "Seriously? Did being in the kitchen too long damaging your brain too? I mean about the thing that's going on between you two... Please tell me that you're dating..."

Mai smiled more, "What do you think?"

Aoi rested her arms against the counter top as she leaned forward, frowning as she inched closer to the playful Mai, "I think you're being stupid and I didn't come all the way from Hokkaido to play guessing games!"

Mai instantly laughed at Aoi's frustration while her brunette friend just watched at the hollow laughs—Aoi's brows involuntarily knotted.

"Is she dating someone else?"

Mai's smile dropped; she pursed her lips tight as she shrugged, "I can't be sure about that one. I never ask, she never tells..."

Aoi inhaled deeply as she leaned against the chair, "Up until this moment, you didn't even tell her? What the hell is going on with you?"

Mai remained quiet—she stared at the half-eaten salad in her bowl. She had been wondering the same thing all this time and yet, even she didn't have an answer. Now she started to doubt her decision—was it okay to have Natsuki back into her life?

Natsuki came back and yes, she was happy talking to her because she did miss her—a lot, to be exact. And of course her feelings still lingered. But at the same time, she knew it was wrong. It was wrong to be happy talking to her or even just seeing her. She felt like there was no place for her and she didn't fit in anywhere. Natsuki had a new life and there was no space.

She didn't belong in Natsuki's life anymore. So before she became happy, she had to remember what was on the real...

"She did great without me before... Why would I need to ruin that...?"

* * *

><p>Shizuru watched Natsuki walk out of the cafe with a tray in her hands. Suddenly, she realized something. <em>Wait... I forgot to tell Natsuki that I want a cup of jasmine tea—<em>

"I bought a jasmine tea for you. Is that okay?" Natsuki asked as she placed one medium sized cup in front of Shizuru.

_Ara? _Shizuru blinked her eyes in surprise as she tilted her head up, meeting Natsuki's inquiring gaze.

"What?"

"How did you know that I wanted jasmine tea?"

There was a flicker of surprise in Natsuki's emerald orbs and Shizuru noticed it—but it quickly disappeared. A smug smile appeared afterwards and it was charmingly distracting.

"I'm that good!" Natsuki chuckled as she flopped onto her chair.

"Really? I'm not too convinced..." Shizuru arched a brow playfully while Natsuki laughed again.

"It was a mere guess..."

Shizuru blew a dejected sigh, "And here I thought Natsuki knew about my favourite... what a shame..."

Natsuki's brows twitched at the frustrated look on Shizuru's face and knew that brunette was acting, "Drop it, Shizuru. I'm not buying it. Besides, why did I need to know about your favourite anyway?"

"Because we're friends?"

The cup almost slipped itself off her grasp—Natsuki definitely could not argue with such reasoning. A sudden rush of heat slowly made its way towards her cheeks. She just didn't know why and how Shizuru's words managed to please and embarrass her at the same time.

One corner of Shizuru's lips tugged upwards into a mischievous smirk. She remained silent momentarily as she picked up her cup and took a sip of her tea. _She even got the exact amount of sugar I usually prefer... Was it a total coincidence?_

"Anyway, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"What? I can't simply take you out for a dinner?" Natsuki interjected almost instantly.

Shizuru smiled again, "Well, you don't just take someone out for a dinner with no apparent reason. Unless you want to consider this as a date, I would gladly take it."

_Damn this woman... _Natsuki frowned again. "It's not a date! Don't flatter yourself," she scoffed, cheeks blazing red and Shizuru giggled.

They fell into silence as they sipped from their respective cups. Shizuru noticed Natsuki's inaudible sigh—she quickly knew that Natsuki probably had something troubling her. Shizuru bit her lower lips. She would love to know what was going on inside that beautiful girl's mind but she understood that they weren't that close to have a heart-to-heart conversation.

Yes, Natsuki did confront her about her issue with Reito; it didn't mean she should come forward and intrude with Natsuki's personal matters too. Maybe it was because of Natsuki's nature; honest and straightforward—two of the things that she quickly noticed about Natsuki.

But she wanted to. She wanted Natsuki to confide in her.

"Are you okay?"

The question definitely took Natsuki by surprise, "Y-yeah! Of course!"

"Really?"

_Those eyes sure are kind of persuasive_, Natsuki thought. She felt her defenses slowly crumbled at the kind and tender gaze Shizuru was upholding. Her throat automatically worked on a gulp—a sign that she was actually feeling nervous. She diverted her stare, gazing up at the clear sky above them. _Lots of stars._ At least she knew the night would be clear of rain, hopefully, because she would love to stay outside the cafe much longer, savouring the flavour of her favourite coffee and being able to sit in complete silence with someone without feeling awkward. She wondered how she managed to be that comfortable with Shizuru. It never happened with anyone, other than her closest friends, of course. Not to mention, she wasn't that close with Shizuru, yet.

"You should be happy for the one you love, right? Even though they're going away for years, 5,000 miles away from you... You should be happy for them..." Natsuki lowered her head, finding Shizuru's eyes fixated on hers, "...right?"

Shizuru didn't have to wonder who Natsuki was referring to. News spread fast and words moved around like air. The hotel was a small place after all, and of course nothing could be left out of her knowledge. She felt the muscles on her face tingle—it felt like goosebumps. Her heart was being pulled and she felt like something was swirling in her stomach. _What is this feeling? Am I being jealous?_

"Distance doesn't mean a thing. You shouldn't really care how far apart you'll be. If they're the one for you, you will find them eventually." Shizuru said—there was a little crack in her voice. She wondered why she had to answer it like that.

Natsuki blinked a couple of times, taking a deep breath as she shifted in her seat, "I'm not really worried about distance... Time, that's the one I'm worried about. I don't know if I can give any while I'm running out of it every second."

Shizuru found Natsuki's eyes again—lost and insecure, maybe a little bit of fear?

"There's always time."

"I've waited for so long."

"Sometimes we don't even understand why we are waiting. But also, maybe it is time for you to let go."

There—she said it. Shizuru felt like slapping her own mouth. She instantly swallowed the lump inside her throat as she watched Natsuki's face slowly change. _She looks more relaxed now._ They fell into silence again. Both of them quickly moved for their cups as they silently took a sip while trying hard to avoid eye contact.

"I hate that feeling when I realize giving up is the only option I have left. I'm always the one who loves more. That's my problem." Natsuki threw her head back, closing her eyes.

Shizuru stared into her cup, only to find her own reflection staring back at her.

"Love shouldn't feel circumstantial. It shouldn't feel as if you love that person more or vice versa. The effort shouldn't be one-sided—it's your choice. They never forced you to stay by their side and suffer. But if you're willing to put up the fight, to wait, to go through everything all over again... I hope that person is really worth it."

Natsuki couldn't help but smile at the answers Shizuru was giving. Through her teasing and playful nature, Natsuki found a very mature, wise and sensible woman. Not to mention a very beautiful one. She was glad she asked Shizuru out for dinner and though she didn't expect their conversation could lead into her personal matters, she was happy it did. Truthfully, she didn't know where to go with everything that happened between her and Mai.

"Do you believe in giving someone a second chance?" Natsuki asked, fiddling with her fingers as she inhaled deeply.

Shizuru only smiled at the question, "Why bother giving second chances when there is someone waiting for their first?" Her eyes twinkled slightly and it didn't go unnoticed by Natsuki.

_What...was that? _Natsuki thought she saw something in those crimson eyes and it made her heart jumped violently.

Shizuru had to avert her stare and she quickly took a mouthful of her lukewarm tea, for she was afraid that Natsuki might notice something more than she was allowed to see.

Or maybe Natsuki already did? _I really need to be careful with my words next time…_

"You know… maybe…" Shizuru paused when Natsuki shot another gaze at her, inquiring and a bit more demanding than it was earlier, "Maybe you two really are meant to be together. Maybe in the near future when everything is clear and her priorities are different than how they are now…"

"Maybe?"

_Why am I doing this…? _Shizuru forced another smile, "Maybe…"

Natsuki curtly scoffed as she shook her head. Shizuru just wasn't sure whether Natsuki was agreeing with her words or just plainly laughing at her incredulous thought.

"How ironic… I have to end something that never even started…" Natsuki sighed as she scratched her head, messing up her hair slightly—which happened to be incredibly sexy to a certain brunette.

_They are not dating? I really didn't expect that coming… _Shizuru just remained quiet as Natsuki let out another sigh.

"At least it never did. The outcome wouldn't come out as bad as to someone who was once devoted to it…"

"Heh! Are you talking about yourself?"

"Touché…" Shizuru's brows knotted into a soft frown. Natsuki instantly laughed.

"Seriously, I thought when someone went through a break-up, they didn't take shower for days, and they didn't eat nor sleep…" Natsuki rested her elbows on the table as she leaned forward slightly, "You're the total opposite… Are you really done with my brother that fast?"

"I don't like to waste more time over something that is not working out…" Shizuru finished her tea and she leaned closer to the blunette, "Besides, I would really love to expand my horizon instead being stuck with one mediocre relationship." Shizuru winked playfully.

That definitely elicited more laughs from Natsuki as she slapped her knees in mirth.

"Mediocre? Really? It's that easy, huh? So you're implying that your relationship with Reito was only a lie and it no longer matters to you?" Natsuki narrowed her eyes at the pair of crimson before her. Suddenly everything about that brunette sparked her curiosity and she just couldn't hold herself back from asking.

Shizuru's lips tugged into a wide smile, "My relationship with Reito wasn't a lie. At some point, he did win a place in my heart. I cared about him. I still do." Shizuru admitted, "I enjoyed being with him. He made me happy. He's a great friend and an amazing boyfriend any girl could wish for... but..."

"But…?" Natsuki blinked when Shizuru paused again.

_But then you came… You changed everything._

She would love to say it out loud but that would be utterly crazy. Shizuru mentally shook the thought out of her head when she felt Natsuki's stare was like burning a hole right through her.

For a moment, Shizuru was quiet as she stared at her empty cup, Natsuki worried that she had gone overboard with her questions. She thought maybe Shizuru wasn't over Reito after all. But when Shizuru tilted her head up and smiled back at her, Natsuki couldn't help but sigh in relief, quietly.

"I think it is maybe because we're seeing things in life differently now. I can no longer see myself in the future with him," Shizuru said. "The moment when he got the idea he possessed me in a certain way—that was exactly the moment I grew tired of him."

Natsuki flexed her fingers, her gaze never leaving Shizuru's, "That's the thing I don't understand… How did you manage to stop loving someone that once mattered to you?"

"I didn't," Shizuru answered instantly. "Nobody ever will. You don't simply stop and forget. But I moved on and I've gotten so much better. That's the thing about love and honestly, I don't understand it any better than you."

Natsuki chuckled as she rubbed her temple, "God... this is beyond confusing..."

Shizuru elicited more laughs, "Don't worry… when you meet the person who completes you, you'll understand why you had to let go of all the people who couldn't make it with you. You'll understand why it's never been them in the first place. Love wasn't made to be easy; otherwise we wouldn't end up with the right person. We would end up with the first one who comes along. By struggling, we single out the wrong ones and realize who is _the_ one."

Natsuki found Shizuru's eyes on hers again—they twinkled the way they did earlier and it did something to her, like some sort of electricity, surging through her veins and to her heart. It made her heart pump faster—way faster than she could possibly imagine.

_Seriously... what the hell is going on with me?_

* * *

><p>"If I tell her now and leave afterwards, it wouldn't be fair to her. I don't want to burden her with something that is not even certain."<p>

"But you are sure about your feelings, right?"

"I am!"

"Then what's stopping you?"

Mai found herself tongue-tied at the question. She looked down at the small plastic cup in her hands—chocolate mint ice-cream was slowly melting. Their conversation was carried on from the kitchen to the living room where they were sitting on the couch, enjoying the dessert.

Aoi narrowed her eyes at Mai's prolonged silence, she knew something was wrong but she couldn't put a finger on it, yet.

"Is there something I don't know? Are you keeping something from me?"

_God, this woman with her sharp instinct! _Mai instantly shook her head, "No. There's nothing. Trust me. If there is, you're the first person to know about it..."

They went into silence again. Mai took a glance at her clock—15 minutes till 9:00 pm. Takumi would be home anytime soon, so she should get the dinner ready. Mai puffed out a heavy sigh and Aoi instantly turned to look at her.

"Anyway, I'm leaving to France soon. I just don't do long distance relationships... I don't believe in them." Mai said as she got off the couch.

"I don't think you're leaving... I think you're trying to run away."

Mai's feet stopped its advance towards the kitchen. She just froze there, unable to turn around as Aoi spoke more words which hit her like a perfect pitch.

"And, honestly what I can't figure out is, are you running towards something you _want_? Or are you running away from something you're afraid to _have_?"

Mai flexed her fingers and balled them into a fist—her nails digging into her palm, which was supposed to be painful, but instead she felt numb.

"I really wish it isn't the latter..."

* * *

><p>It was dark—she blinked her eyes a couple of times. It was hard when you were trying to sleep but your eyes wouldn't comply with your request. Was it because of the 3 cups of coffee she downed earlier? She mentally shook her head. <em>3 cups are not that much…<em>

She remembered back when she was in college, she once had 7 cups of Americano in one night so she could stay up and complete her coursework. When she finally finished her work, she was extremely tired and wanted to sleep but her eyes were wide open. It was like she was on drugs and it annoyed Haruka to no end because she just couldn't stop talking.

Though she managed to get herself to sleep (thanks to Haruka's iPod, which mostly filled with Mariah Carey's songs—up until now she couldn't stop wondering how she could fall asleep with that playlist), Haruka thought once was more than enough. She was prohibited from drinking Americano or any kind of coffee for a month. It was for cleansing purposes, Haruka said.

Well, like she would listen to Haruka anyway. She had a tall cup of latte the next morning for breakfast. Haruka was furious like a wounded lion, but of course, one Mariah Carey's latest CD with a free poster were really handy when it comes to tame the angry Armitage.

Natsuki snickered softly as she remembered that moment. She noticed her eyes were slowly getting heavier with each blink. As she was about to drift off to sleep, her phone blared loudly with her _Skrillex_ ringtone—Natsuki felt like throwing the phone out the window.

She quickly tossed around to find her phone, which was lying somewhere underneath the jumble of sheets and pillows. When she finally got her phone, she looked at the screen—her eyes widened slightly at the unexpected name that appeared on the screen.

"Shizuru?"

"_Ara? You're still awake?"_ Shizuru responded almost immediately; her voice was a tad surprised.

"Well, duh? Why are you calling me so late? Is something wrong?"

There was a soft chuckle on the other line—Natsuki couldn't help but to smile. A short pause ensued and Natsuki barely missed the sigh which came after.

"_I was worried about you…"_

That definitely took Natsuki off-guard and suddenly, she felt like something was choking in her throat. She thought Shizuru was being unfair and she made it very difficult for her to stop this unknown, yet kind of familiar feeling that was slowly developing inside her. _Too soon... this is just too soon..._

"I-I'm fine... There's nothing to be worried about..." Natsuki mentally scorned herself for stuttering.

Shizuru let out another small chuckles and Natsuki found her heart rate escalate with each laughter.

Slowly, she started to realize; it was hard not to fall in love with someone when she saw the mixed up parts of your soul; when she understood the gloomy and disconsolate state of your mind.

_"I'm glad to hear that. Anyway, I was just checking if you're still awake. My instinct was right. You can't sleep, can you? Stop thinking too much, okay? You need to give yourself a break..." _

When it was four in the morning and she called because she knew you were not asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Short, I know... T_T<br>****I have plenty to write but I think it is better to leave it like this because I'm afraid it might disturb the whole structure of this chapter.**

**Anyway, I would like to wish an early greeting! Merry Christmas, everybody!**

**Till then, review please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ehehe... I think it's been 3 months? Sorry...**

**Anyway, this is the latest chapter. Hope you guys will enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Trouble With Love Is...<strong>

**Chapter 11**

_If she had not known better, she would have confused Haruka with a lion—her golden mane and her loud voice which sometimes sounded like a roar. One had to wonder why she even became her best friend. Yes, she was her roommate but it didn't mean she had to be her friend._

_Nonetheless, it was a choice she made and she was happy with it._

_If Haruka was the lion, she was the honey badger. She didn't really care with everything Haruka got into. They were roommates for almost half of semester but she did not even know of Haruka's full name. They had been communicating with each other with 'Oi! Hey!, 'ssup'? and all but their names. Later when she learned of Haruka's middle name, she couldn't help but teasing the older girl and making fun of her. _

_At first, Haruka had a little difficulty in pronouncing her name. She found herself entitled with a new Postclassical Era kind of name—Kruger. _

_Though Haruka was half-Japanese, she had been staying overseas for most of her life so talking in Japanese was such a difficult task for her. It took her 4 years to give that blonde a 'Japanese Language for an Extremely Dumb Friend' lesson. Through the time, they regularly conversed in English and sometimes when Haruka felt like she wanted to talk bad about someone in public, she would talk in Japanese._

_Miraculously enough, her effort paid off. Haruka could flawlessly speak in fluent Japanese but her writing was such a failure._

_Haruka was a great friend. She wouldn't dare to ask for a better friend than her. Though her obsession with Mariah Carey sometimes perturbed her to no end, she had to admit that woman did play a significant role in her life. She didn't think she would ever become who she was right now if it wasn't because of that said lion. Haruka helped her a lot, in so many aspects that she didn't think she could ever repay her. _

_Daughter of a millionaire, got bank accounts full of money which could make the national reserve jealous. She had everything. _

_"You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks or even months over-analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together; justifying what could've, would've happened... Or you can leave the pieces on the floor and move the fuck on!" _

_Headstrong and brutally honest—seriously, who wouldn't hate this girl?_

* * *

><p>"I hate you."<p>

"Yeah... tell me something I don't know..."

"I know you got a new best friend..."

"And guess who it might be?"

Natsuki was still focusing on the construction diagram on the laptop screen while Haruka throwing questions at her. Even though she didn't seem like it, she was listening to that blonde talking very attentively.

"You two went out for a dinner together, eating ramen and later had a late coffee at the cafe..."

That definitely caught Natsuki's attention as she quickly tilted her head up, staring at the blonde right across the table,

"Wow... _really?_"

A single tear rolled down Haruka's cheek, she sobbed, "I'm hurt... Leave me alone! I'm going to listen to Taylor Swift!" She spoke with a trembling voice, placing her hand on her chest dramatically.

"Stop doing that, Armitage... You're creeping me out!" Natsuki put her attention back to the diagram, scowling.

Haruka wiped away her fake tear with a finger, "You should have asked me out last night. I was bored to death. Thank god I have Tina to accompany me throughout the night..."

"Who's Tina?"

"My cat."

"YOU NAMED YOUR CAT TINA!?"

"That's not the problem here!" Haruka smacked the table with a ring file. Natsuki was startled but totally unaffected by it.

"You didn't tell me that you're close with that tea-freak Fujino heiress!"

Natsuki blinked a couple of times, her eyes moving back and forth from Haruka to the ring file on the table, "Uhh, apparently not _that_ close..."

"Definitely not what my eyes saw last night..."

Natsuki instinctively straightened her back as she narrowed her eyes at the blonde.

"Since when you started to stalk me, Armitage?"

"Since last night because I had to have my late dinner alone then I saw you with that brunette, laughing and all. Is she your new girlfriend?"

Natsuki's eyes widened at the ridiculous assumption, "What!? No! She is Reito's girlfriend, for god sake! We were just having a dinner! Nothing more!"

Haruka's violet eyes were narrowing at her, sceptically staring, "I'm not convinced."

Natsuki snorted, shaking her head, "Believe what you want, Armitage. I don't have time to explain details to you anyway..."

"But I saw her was like all over you."

"Don't be ridiculous. She was being nice. That was all."

Haruka scoffed incredulously, "If that was your definition of being nice, you're just as clueless as a pirate wearing two eye patches!"

"What!?"

Haruka rolled her eyes, sighing exasperatingly, "You two were flirting! I was there, watching the whole thing and you were so absorbed flirting with her, you didn't even notice my presence there—"

"—_You_ want me to punch your tongue!?"

Natsuki felt her jaw tightened and her face was burning. She didn't know which one ticked her off more; the fact that Haruka 'stalked' her with Shizuru last night without her knowing or the fact that Haruka was blindly accusing her for something she didn't do.

Or maybe she did?

"What about Tokiha then!?"

Natsuki was stunned. She had forgotten about Mai. Never in her life for the past years had she forgotten about that certain orange-haired woman.

But she just did.

"What about her?"

"What's going on between you and her?"

"Nothing's going on. We're barely moving at all!"

"You need to tell her."

"I did! Like 7 years ago and I'm pretty sure she still knows my feelings for her."

"But then, why didn't you two start dating or something?"

Natsuki closed her laptop, putting it to the sleep mode, "You should ask her yourself. I don't even know the answer."

Silence descended upon them—Haruka couldn't help but to think that every time they were left alone together, the topic which definitely be the main discussion would be about Natsuki and Mai. She was completely baffled with this 'thing' that went on between them. Her thinking was simple—just put away of your past and move the fuck on! If they loved each other, if they wanted to have a future together, just start dating already!

But apparently, things weren't as simple as that. Humans tend to make things complicated. _It could've been simple but humans are just morons_, Haruka thought. _And thank god that I'm a goddess... _Haruka mentally smirked.

Natsuki's heavy sigh drew her attention back to that blunette.

"I don't know what I feel about her anymore... Yes, I do love her but I don't know. It's like we're so close to each other but yet so distant. Like miles away... It's no longer the same thing that I felt. It feels so different..." Natsuki paused, her face turned solemn, "I wonder why..."

Haruka was a tad surprise at the revelation—her violet orbs widened slightly, "So everything you felt for her is gone? Nothing's ever that simple."

Natsuki curved up a bitter smile, "Maybe not, but I'm learning to deal with it."

Haruka arched one brow at her friend's worried look, "Why deal with it when you can love her and be happy?"

Natsuki remained silent. She kept her gaze at the pen in her hand as she skilfully spun it around her fingers. Haruka watched the pen spinning—she started to feel dizzy and not to mention it was a bit distracting. She knew something was bothering her dear friend and she swore she would not let that bluenette went away without giving her a proper explanation.

"Is there someone else?"

The question was a perfect strike and it gave a painful twinge inside her stomach.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You are lying."

Haruka definitely had scored a bull's-eye when Natsuki instantly looked away as soon as their gaze met. Natsuki had to swallow whatever that was lodged inside her throat when Haruka gave her a piercing stare. She was busted.

Haruka was fully aware that they had been arguing over that matter quite a lot ever since they were in college and truthfully, they never got down to one final solution. These arguments they had needed to end and watching both Natsuki and Mai, she knew none of them would do anything to fix the problem. Either Natsuki was being too stupid or Mai was being overly stubborn. Or maybe, they were both. She felt like smashing their heads together and tossed them into a bonfire made of tampons.

Yes. She was _that _angry.

But Haruka decided that she had to leave it at that. As much as she wanted to figure out what or who was in Natsuki's mind, there was a limit of how far she was allowed to care. Natsuki was an adult and she believed that her friend knew what she was doing, hopefully.

"Please don't get too attached when you couldn't figure out what it is to you..."

But Natsuki had hesitated before answering.

"I won't. I promise."

...and she feared what it meant.

* * *

><p>"A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted by his father, would develop 'entitlement mentality' and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts."<p>

Keisuke involuntarily lowered his newspaper and he found Saeko reading on a magazine.

"Excuse me?"

"When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others." Saeko added up, her stare was unwavering. Keisuke started to feel a tad confused but he decided to keep silent as he watched Saeko continuing to read.

"For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?"

Keisuke's lips quickly tugged into a smile as she finished, "Are you talking about Reito?"

Saeko smiled back, shrugging, "I was just quoting an article..."

"Right." Keisuke's gaze lingered momentarily before he lowered it back to the newspaper.

"He just wants your attention."

Keisuke's eyes snapped back to look at the pair of emerald before him, his brows twitched reluctantly, "I don't understand..."

Saeko smiled as she slowly stood up and walked to sit right next to Keisuke. She took his hand and entwined their fingers together, "I couldn't be happier to know that you love and care for Natsuki like your own daughter."

His lips curved up into a proud smile, "I am!"

"And I might be wrong at this but it seems like you've been neglecting Reito all this time..."

Keisuke snorted instantly, "What? He's not twelve! He's an adult man. I don't think he needs my attention that much..."

"You think?" Saeko arched one brow, feeling somewhat amused.

Keisuke shook his head as he folded the newspaper and placed it on the coffee table, "Seriously, what is this all about? What did Reito tell you?"

"He told me that it feels like you've been treating him differently. You're being unfair and you favour Natsuki more than your own son..." Saeko paused, "I'm pretty much quoting what he had told me."

Keisuke pulled back, giving off an incredulous look at Saeko, "Really? He told you that? Wow! Now I know why Shizuru-chan wants to break up with him..." He rubbed his chin and shook his head again, "So, you're asking me why I favour Natsuki more than him? Can't you figure out the answer already?"

"You're being really harsh..." Saeko just chuckled at the obvious frustration displayed on Keisuke's face, "I know that sometimes Reito can be really immature. It's just because he used to get all the attention from you. But when Natsuki came into your life, you neglected him. He even argued over why you agreed to Natsuki's request to study in UK while you rejected his with no further consideration..."

"Natsuki is different. She's very independent and I know she can take care of herself well. Besides, Natsuki didn't even use my money during her study there! She earned herself a scholarship, she worked part-time—she pretty much did everything by herself! Yes, I did transfer some money to her but she didn't even touch it!" Keisuke explained.

"And Reito... all I can say is I know my son. I don't trust him to stay in a foreign land with no one to look after him. Even when he's here in Japan, he brought back 25 different women to this house to be introduced to us! That's why I didn't want him to study abroad..."

"But does Reito aware about that?" Saeko asked.

Keisuke's eyes trained on Saeko resolutely, "I don't find any reason why I have to explain everything to him..."

Saeko was tongue-tied at the piercing stare Keisuke was giving. She quickly smiled and shook her head, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have started this conversation..."

"No... You're just concern. I understand that and I'm very much grateful. But it's not your job to come to me every time Reito has something in his mind. He's an adult. He should come to me personally if he has a problem with me." Keisuke sighed heavily as he scratched his head.

They fell into a short silence before Saeko started with another question again.

"What do you think about him wants to marry Shi-chan...?" Saeko pursed her lips tightly as she took a deep breath.

"If you asked me, I would say it way too early for Reito..." Keisuke answered truthfully, "But if it's with Shizuru-chan, I think she'll handle Reito just fine..."

Saeko seemed to be lost in her own thought as she recalled everything Shizuru told her the other day. Her heart clenched.

"What if she's no longer in love with him...? It isn't something we can force to happen, right?"

Keisuke let out another sigh as he rested his head against the sofa. His gaze lingered at the ceiling.

"Then it's too bad..."

* * *

><p>"I'll be going to Kyoto tomorrow..."<p>

It took all the strength she had to keep the fork from slipping off her grasp.

"What?"

Natsuki blinked a couple of times—slightly surprised at the startlingly loud response coming from the other person across the table, "Do you have to be that surprised?"

Quickly putting down the fork, Shizuru reached for a napkin and she wiped her mouth, "Wasn't it supposed to be your other two colleagues?"

Natsuki shrugged while taking a sip of her orange juice, "Well yeah, it was but one of them has to stay because her mother is hospitalized." Natsuki sighed, "So my senior designer has to cover her job. We're kinda short-staffed..."

"Ara, I'm sorry..."

Natsuki chuckled at the apologetic look on Shizuru's face, "Why do you need to be sorry anyway? It's not your fault..."

Shizuru pouted slightly as she sighed, "Yes, I know but..." She just couldn't explain it. She was thrilled with the news of Natsuki would be going to Kyoto with her but at the same time she felt bad for the other two of Natsuki's colleagues.

"Kyoto is your hometown, right?"

Shizuru blinked in surprise and quickly nodded, "Yes. It is my hometown."

Upon hearing that, Natsuki's smile widened, "Once we're done with whatever that is need to be done with your dad, you have to be my tourist guide!"

"Ara, tourist guide? Why is that so?" Shizuru arched one brow, feeling somewhat amused with the cheshire grin on Natsuki's face.

"Because it will be my first time being there! I'm not going to waste it!"

"You've travelled across the continents yet you haven't been in Kyoto?"

"Like I have any reason to go there..." Natsuki made a face as she crossed her arms. Shizuru instantly laughed.

"Well, you do now and you are welcome to come back anytime you want..." Her lips slowly tugged into a charming smile, "And I'll be glad to be your tourist guide again."

Natsuki grinned more, "Just for a reminder though. I'm not going to pay you for that!"

Shizuru laughed again as she just shook her head.

* * *

><p>"How's your treatment going?"<p>

"It's good. Just one more treatment need to be done before we leave to France..."

Saeko inadvertently frowned, "France?" she asked, earning a weak nod as an answer to her question from the young boy across the table.

"Why France?"

"Nee-chan got an internship there... 2 years."

Saeko frowned more, "Does Natsuki know about this?" It was the first thing came to her mind when Takumi informed the news. She watched Takumi nodded again and by the look on his face, she knew something was bothering him.

"Is everything okay...?" Saeko paused, reaching for the glass of water, "I mean between Mai-chan and Natsuki..."

Takumi just wasn't sure where or how to start. Was it okay for him to intrude more than what he was allowed to? He knew the matter was rather personal between his sister and Natsuki but he just couldn't sit back and watch—he had to do something. As selfish as it might sound, he wanted the relationship between Mai and Natsuki to work out. He didn't know or hadn't yet to figure out the reason behind their separation, so many questions were left unanswered.

"I don't know..." Takumi admitted. Saeko quietly smiled.

"Me neither..." Saeko said, earning a wide-eyed response from Takumi and she chuckled. She placed the glass back to its previous spot and entwined her fingers together.

"The day when you and Mai left unannounced, I did ask Natsuki about it but she had no clue. I must say that it was quite irresponsible for you and Mai to leave us just like that. I haven't had any chance to ask your sister about it but I guess she must have her own reason."

Takumi sighed quietly, "I'm not sure about that too. It happened way too fast and all I know she said that we had to leave Tokyo because she got an offer from this culinary school she applied to in Hokkaido."

Saeko raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Oh? So it was Hokkaido all these years? Why didn't you contact us back? I thought you two were off somewhere across the world!"

"No, we were not..." Takumi managed a small smile. Saeko just shook her head in amusement.

They sat in silence, watching more customers walking in and out the café. Takumi tilted his head, staring at the woman who Natsuki took resemblance of like they were twins. The only difference one could find was the pair of glasses she wore and her eyes were less daunting compared to Natsuki's and of course her refined and matured look she bore as a woman with prominent stature. She carried more elegance and sophistication compared to Natsuki who was laid back and simple.

"Nee-chan..." Takumi started off again, taking Saeko's attention back to him, "S-she loves Natsuki-san..."

There was only silence. Both of them exchanged look but the response which came after completely baffled him. He expected the reaction would come out as a shock but he received a wide smile instead.

"I figured as much..." Saeko arched one brow, amused as she took a sip from her glass again.

Takumi blinked his eyes a couple of times, feeling somewhat surprised, "You knew about it?"

Saeko smiled wider, "Not exactly but let just say that I'm not that blind when it comes to thing like this..."

"Oh..." That was all Takumi managed to come up with as he scratched at the back of his neck, feeling slightly flustered, "Aren't you supposed to be surprised with that, Saeko-mama? You're awfully calm and you're starting to worry me..."

Saeko instantly laughed, "There's nothing to be worried about, Takumi-kun... Like I said, I'm kind of expecting it."

"And you're okay with it?"

Saeko took a deep breath, fixating her gaze at the questioning look Takumi gave, "Whether it's okay or not, it is not something for me to decide..."

They looked into each other's eyes again and Takumi was the first to lower his eyes and he sighed heavily.

"What am I supposed to do...?"

"Nothing."

Takumi snapped his head up and found Saeko's smile. He was confused but he waited for Saeko's further words.

"It's none of our business anyway. You're not supposed to do anything, Takumi. They are adults. They know what they are doing." Saeko paused for a deep breath before continuing, "And in all honesty, we're far from understanding the whole matter between them. Natsuki never said anything to me and judging from what you've told me earlier, I'm sure Mai-chan hasn't really opened up to you exactly what her relationship with Natsuki is..."

Takumi inadvertently shook his head, "Yes, she hasn't..."

Saeko smiled softly, "Mai-chan may still love Natsuki. She probably does. She probably still thinks about her all the time."

Takumi quickly nodded, "Yes, she does..."

"But that isn't what matters. What matters is what she's doing about it, and what she's doing about it is nothing."

Saeko's words hit him hard—Takumi had to agree. His sister was always being vague with her actions. They didn't tally with what she always told him. He wondered what had been holding his sister back. It was obvious to the world that Natsuki was still in love with her. He just couldn't understand with everything that was going back and forth between them.

Saeko's soft sigh brought Takumi's attention back to their conversation and he found Saeko's smile again.

"Please don't take what I said like I'm being biased to my own daughter. I love Mai-chan dearly and you two are not any less like my own children. I want the two of you to be happy, more than anything in this world I've ever wished for." Saeko reached out, patting Takumi's head, "And of course, I want to see Natsuki's smile too... I know you want the same thing for your sister but this is beyond our reach..."

Takumi decided to keep silence as he knew that he just couldn't argue more with Saeko—she was right and it was immature of him to think that he could find any possible way to keep the relationship between Mai and Natsuki.

Saeko curved up a comforting smile, "We should just leave them dealing with each other by themselves."

* * *

><p>She gaped slightly at the sight of a tall, well-groomed man, who she assumed was in his mid-forties. His perfectly ironed uniform was somewhat distracting and she flinched slightly when that man outstretched his hand to her.<p>

"Hello! You must be Kuga Natsuki!"

"And you must be kidding!"

Natsuki shook the hand nonetheless, turning around and scowling at the brunette haired woman behind her, "You didn't tell me that we're going to Kyoto with a private jet!"

Shizuru lifted one eyebrow, feeling amused at Natsuki's scowl, "Ara? I didn't? Well, you know now..." she grinned as she walked away.

Natsuki grunted at Shizuru's nonchalant response as they made their way into the jet, only to have her jaw dropped again when she saw the interior. It had LCD TV, sofa and a small area which looked like a kitchen—not to mention there was a very hot flight attendant, greeting her and brought her to the respective seat provided. _This ain't normal plane! It's like a freaking palace!_

Shizuru barely restrained a smile as she watched Natsuki looking around the plane like a kid in a toy store, "You have never been in one?"

"Nope! This is the first time—_oh_, thank you!" Natsuki gave an awkward bow to the attendant as she took the offered glass of juice, "Wow! Even normal orange juice tastes expensive when you have it here!"

Shizuru laughed almost instantly at the remark, "What? You're being ridiculous, Natsuki..."

"I'm just kidding..." Natsuki just grinned, "Anyway, what's the plan for today?"

"Oh yes! I forgot about that..." Shizuru quickly put away her drinks and moved for her planner. She flipped a few pages, a finger tracing along the paper surface and it stopped as she read on the details, "We're free during the day but we have to meet my father for a dinner..."

"Really? Nice!"

"But I have planned something for you. I want to take you for a tour around the resort, if you're okay with it..."

Natsuki quickly nodded, "Sure! I would love to!"

* * *

><p>She narrowed her eyes at the LCD screen, "Wow... talking about being clueless... He drove all the way from his town for 10 hours just to see you, dammit! Doesn't that spell love to you!?" Natsuki practically yelled at the poor TV, more like to the fictional character of a Korean drama series she was currently watching.<p>

Shizuru chuckled at Natsuki's frustrated look, "Natsuki... you're being overly agitated over a drama series."

"Of course I am! She's being ridiculously stupid to not realizing that the guy is in love with her!" Natsuki scowled, her back rested against the seat again when the scene was less dramatic.

Shizuru smiled at the comment. She silently placed a bookmark at the seam of her book and she put it aside, "Well, I can't blame her for not noticing..."

"And why is that?"

"Because sometimes, when you're too preoccupied looking at a certain _someone_, you wouldn't notice that there is another person who is looking at you exactly the same way..."

Natsuki blinked at the smile Shizuru was giving—she found herself couldn't tear her eyes away from staring at those glossy ruby lips.

She admitted Shizuru was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. But somehow, she started to notice more—wavy sandy brown tresses, so lustrous they moved like ocean; glazed crimson eyes, alluring and sensual, with a touch of mischief. Her eyebrows were shaped into a deceivingly perfect arch that followed the slight curve of her eye; her straight, pointy nose and back to her perfectly shaped lips.

Natsuki never was an observant type—she often seeing things as a whole but with Shizuru, she just had to stop and stare; her features, her behaviour. How those brows would knot together into a soft frown whenever she talked about something serious; tilting her head up slightly whenever she was doing a little thinking as if she could get some inspiration up at the ceiling or from the sky. Her laughs, her sighs—she took notice of everything.

And now she started to wonder why.

"Natsuki?"

She blinked again, somewhat confused when she saw Shizuru moving in closer. She bumbled for words when Shizuru placed a palm against her forehead—the warmth was absurdly comforting and she almost slipped a groan when Shizuru pulled her hand away.

"Are you starting to feel sick?" Shizuru quickly grabbed at the pack of Cheetos in Natsuki's hand, "Seriously... you need to eat more healthily, Natsuki..."

Shizuru walked away to the kitchen section as she mumbled something about throwing all the junk food out the plane. She came back to sit right next to the stunned blunette and handed over a glass of juice she took from the fridge. Shizuru would've call the attendant but she was in the cockpit, serving some snacks for the pilot.

"Drink it... You'll feel better." Shizuru smiled when she saw Natsuki chugged the glass like a thirsty traveler, "You didn't tell me that you have air sickness..."

Finally managed to form a few words, "I don't have air sickness!" Natsuki responded, sounding like an irritated child.

Shizuru was about to retort when her flight attendant walked out the cockpit, "We're going to land in 15 minutes. Please buckle your seat belt," she said with a smile and strutted towards the blunette who was struggling with the belt.

"Need a help?"

"Yea, but no thank you. I'll manage—" her words stalled when hands wrapped around hers, guiding the movement to buckle the belt. That brunette flight attendant quirked up an eyebrow at Natsuki's startled look when she heard the sharp intake of breath, her lips curved up into a sultry smile. Natsuki involuntarily back away at the proximity, her back sunk deeper into the seat.

"Did anyone ever tell you how pretty your eyes is, Kuga-san?"

"Um, nope. You're the first one." Natsuki smiled awkwardly, quickly looked away and she caught Shizuru's eyes glued at the flight attendant—it was menacing and Natsuki had never seen Shizuru looking that way to anyone.

"Shizuru?"

Like after a magician snapped his fingers and everything quickly went back to normal—Shizuru beamed a wide smile.

"Ara? Yes, Natsuki?"

Natsuki blinked a couple of times; trying to register the look she saw earlier and was about to ask Shizuru about it but the flight attendant was distracting her again—the scent of her hair wafted into her sense, flowery and a touch of citrusy—it was nice.

"And you're safely buckled now."

"T-Thank you very much!"

"You're so cute, Kuga-san... Mind to give me your number?"

"Ehhh!?" In a speed of light, Natsuki's face heated up and blushed brilliantly to the incessant flirtation. She could feel the tingling sensation all over her face, "Wh-why would you want my number for!?"

The attendant smiled again, leaning in closer, "For an obvious reason—"

"—_Ara?_ Aren't you supposed to get back to your seat, Megumi-san? The plane is going to land now..."

Though it sounded so sweet and polite to other people, Natsuki could taste the venom inside that clearly forced cheery voice—the tone was dropped to a threatening level and each word was like a loaded gun.

Megumi just smiled at Shizuru's words and as she gave a short bow to Natsuki, she slipped a small paper into Natsuki's hand, "Just in case..." she whispered and walked to her seat.

Natsuki inhaled a deep breath, as if Megumi had took it away moment earlier. She felt her palm itched, the small piece of paper was crumpled slightly, poking at her skin.

"Don't even think about it..."

Natsuki snapped her head around, watching Shizuru arched one brow at her, "What? It's not like I'm going to call her or something!"

"But I can see that you have no intention to throw it away either. She's my staff. Please be professional."

Natsuki's brows drew together into a tight frown. She was about to voice out to her defense but Shizuru had looked away, casting her sight out the oval glass window.

Natsuki harrumphed, turning away and staring down at the paper in her right hand—a series of numbers was scribbled in a neat handwriting. Natsuki folded it up and put it away into her jacket. True to Shizuru's words, she wasn't going to throw it away. That would be very rude of her to someone who was being nice or maybe she was just being friendly.

Yes, flirtation, she knew exactly what it was and there was no possible way she could help herself from being the target. It happened ever since she was in high school and it didn't seem to stop anytime soon. She was used to it, though she couldn't really control her reaction which could cause more unwanted attention. She was getting a lot of it; she couldn't even differentiate who was being sincere and who was the fake one. At the end, she decided to ignore everyone who came to her way.

It wasn't like she was not being grateful for her undeniably attractive look. Sometimes, being that also had its downside.

She sighed again. Her thought started to wander. Shizuru had been acting weirdly ever since Megumi helped her with the seat belt. Though she seemed to be oblivious to most of things that related to romance, she didn't need a better reference to point out what exactly had caused such behaviour from Shizuru.

Natsuki quietly closed her eyes as she let her thoughts wandered.

_Was it jealousy?_

* * *

><p>"<em>Someone ordered you to bring out a bottle of mayonnaise? What the hell?"<em>

_Her ears immediately perked up at the sudden outburst—her hands stopped at the chopping._

"_Yeah... She even said that the chef is really stingy with the mayo dressing." The waiter paused, craning her neck to look at the young chef, "YOU are stingy, Mai-chan!" she giggled as she watched Mai's jaw dropped slightly at the ridiculous accusation. _

"_Excuse me!? I'm not stingy! I did exactly just how the recipe is! That customer must be one hell of a crazy—"_

_She stopped. Something was tugging at the back of her mind. A sudden rush of chill running through her veins and she couldn't stop the increasing rate of her heart beat. _

"_Mai-chan? Are you okay—"_

"_I'll take this to her!" _

_She just wasn't sure when or how but the next thing she knew, she was standing right outside the kitchen door with one medium sized bottle of mayonnaise in her hands—looking for what she wanted to see the most. She wasn't being told which table but as if she was being guided, her legs brought her to one table which was occupied by two women. She would care less about the blonde—her sight was somehow came out blurry and only focused on that certain navy haired woman._

_Again, something was tugging at the back of her mind. Her advance slowed and eventually came into a stop. They were separated a few feet apart and the sight of the other woman's smile stung hard at her chest then soon followed by the pumping of blood through her own ears—it was deafening._

_She didn't like the memories because tears could come easily. But once again, she broke the promise she made to herself for that day._

_It was a constant battle. A war between remembering and forgetting..._

_"—but eating mayo to such extent is still considered unhealthy, you know?"_

_And she knew too damn well that she had lost._

* * *

><p>She didn't realize she had fallen asleep throughout the limo ride to the hotel until she felt a soft tugged at her shoulder. She tried to pry the offending hand away—soft giggles chimed and she had to force her eyes open. Shizuru was grinning at her.<p>

"Wake up, sleepy head."

"Where are we? Are we there yet?"

A vast view of golf course could be seen from afar; she guessed it probably would take another 10-20 minutes to get there.

"We'll be there soon. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Okay. Let's stop at the hotel's cafe as soon as we get there..."

A short nod and a smile, Natsuki slowly drifted off into sleep again.

* * *

><p>"Where is Natsuki?"<p>

Saeko lowered the magazine in her hands, watching Reito looked around the house as if he was searching for something.

"Your sister left to Kyoto earlier this morning for a business meeting."

"Kyoto?"

Saeko nodded twice in affirmation to her words, "Why are you looking for her?"

Reito smiled and shook his head, "Nothing. I was thinking to take her out for a lunch together..."

"Lunch?"

"Yup."

"You haven't done that like million years ago."

Saeko's quick remark made his face burning in embarrassment—Saeko instantly laughed.

"Come, let's go out together then! Your father is out with his friend for a couple of golf match, he probably will have his lunch together with them."

Reito happily obliged and they walked to the front porch, locking the door before they left to the garage. Once they settled in their respective seat, Reito started the engine.

"Is there any reason you want to see Natsuki?"

Reito smiled again at Saeko's perceptiveness, that woman truly deserved an award.

"Often times, I went to look for Shizuru at her office and I always missed her. I asked some of the staffs, they said Shizuru always went out together with someone."

"And that someone is Natsuki?"

Reito nodded and smiled, "Which is a good thing because I'm hoping to hear what Shizuru said to Natsuki about me. Maybe with thing that is going on between us lately, I think Shizuru needs someone she can talk to. I'm glad she chose Natsuki."

Saeko was silent, picking at her fingers in her lap as she threw her sight outside the window. The conversation she had with Takumi earlier that morning somehow made her think a lot.

Possibilities, consequences, cause and effect. Everything.

"Why didn't you go and make some time with Shizuru to figure things out between you and her? Why you need Natsuki to do that for you?"

"Because I decided to give Shizuru some time for herself."

Saeko quickly inhaled.

"Yes, you can have all the time you want... What if during that time, she would fall out of love and find someone new? What are you going to do about that?"

Reito quickly silenced at the thought. He took a short glimpse of Saeko who was still staring out the window and back to focus on his driving, "I've never really thought of that..."

They went into a quick silence before Saeko started to talk again, patting at his shoulder,

"Never take your relationship for granted. There's always someone out there who is willing to take your place."

* * *

><p>"And here I thought you're with Haruka..."<p>

Both Natsuki and Shizuru quickly turned at the unmistakably male voice. A tall, spiky haired man flashed a bright smile at them, but with the long scar at his left cheek, it sure didn't make him any less intimidating.

Natsuki just chuckled at the unexpected guest at their table and she stood up, pulling at the man's right arm, "Shizuru... this is Takeda. He's a good friend of mine."

Takeda spun to look at Natsuki with a hurt look as he flung his arm around Natsuki's shoulder,

"Honey... How long are you going to keep our relationship like this? Would it kill you to at least call me your boyfriend—_Arrrhh! Not the hair! Not the HAIR!_" Takeda wailed in pain when Natsuki suddenly pulled at his hair.

Shizuru giggled at Takeda's suffering as she just watched them in amusement.

"Don't mind him, Shizuru... He's crazy. And what the hell are you doing here!? Are you spying on me!?"

"Oh please... Like you're some kind of celebrity for me to stalk? Girl, I got a case to deal here in Kyoto. This stupid ass conman is about to get prosecuted. So, no, I'm not stalking you and instead of watching your cute, little ass, I would rather—" Takeda couldn't even finish his words and quickly took a few steps back, cowering when Natsuki threatened to throw a plate at him. They shared laugh as Natsuki pulled out one chair for Takeda.

"Join us?" Natsuki arched one eyebrow, smiling playfully. Takeda just laughed and nodded.

"I thought you would never ask..." Takeda took a seat and he grinned at Shizuru,

"Anyway, pardon me for not introducing myself properly. My name is Takeda Masashi," Takeda snuck his hand into his suit, pulling out his card and handed it over to Shizuru, "I'm Natsuki's soul mate and her personal lawyer—" Takeda choked on his saliva when he saw Natsuki shot a sharp glare and he quickly chuckled.

Shizuru gave a short bow and smiled, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Takeda-san. My name is Fujino Shizuru..."

_Wait... Isn't she Reito's girlfriend? What is she doing here with Natsuki? _Takeda's eyes squinted slightly as he heard the name and he gave a quick glance at Natsuki through the corner of his eyes. Natsuki caught the glance and her lips curved up into a knowing smile. Takeda quickly lowered his head, giving a short bow to Shizuru—at the same time trying to hide his upcoming grin.

_Oohh... you got plenty to explain later, Natsuki..._

* * *

><p>Takeda who was the unnoticeable third wheel on that table couldn't help but to sense something. His eyes went back and forth; from Natsuki to Shizuru as they talked to each other. From how they ended up sleeping together in Natsuki's room, going out for a movie and other stuff they did—which sounded to him like they were really enjoying each others' company. Though they did include him in their little conversation bubbles, Takeda just couldn't help but to feel like an outcast at that table. It wasn't like he was unhappy about it, he found the whole interaction between Natsuki and Shizuru was somewhat amusing and he just couldn't wait to interrogate his raven-haired friend when Shizuru excused herself to the washroom.<p>

As the sight of Shizuru disappeared behind the washroom door, Takeda instantly leaned forward, whispering to Natsuki.

"Guuurl, what the hell is going on with you and that brunette?"

"What? What the hell is going on?"

"I saw it just now."

"You saw what?"

Takeda just couldn't suppress his grin, "_Ooooh_, you're playing dumb? Even a blind man could see that! You two were flirting with each other!"

"Haha! That was _so_ not flirting!" Natsuki chuckled, somehow it sounded a bit awkward.

Takeda arched one brow, unimpressed with Natsuki's feeble attempt to hide her real emotion,

"Ahhh? So what do you call that then? Her giggles, your stares... Oh, and I know that stare so well! And nobody knows except me and Haruka about your holy lingerie collection. She must be one hell of special snowflake to get to know about that. You're into her, aren't you? Lez-bi-onest!"

"What? About my collection, it was an emergency so I gave her a pair. I was just being nice and it was a right thing to do. Besides, my family knows about that collection too. And what stare? We're just talking, for god sake!"

Takeda noticed Natsuki's jaw tightened and her eyes were looking at everywhere except his face—a sign that Natsuki was actually lying and hiding something from him. Oh, how he loved that very moment and silently prayed that he could somehow dig something out from his dear friend. Who wouldn't like a scandal, right? Something like this was even better than overrated drama series he had been watching every Friday night.

"Don't get me fucking start on my gay analysis and I'm doing it for free. For a starter, all I can say that girlfriend of your brother is _so_ into you..." Takeda grinned more, pointing an accusatory finger at Natsuki's face.

Natsuki slipped the fork off her grasp—it gave a loud clanking sound as it hit the plate.

"Oh my god! Shut up, seriously~! You and Haruka should get married soon! You and your big mouth while Haruka and her loud voice! A perfect match made in heaven!"

"Who is the perfect match in heaven?"

Both Natsuki and Takeda instantly went into silence when they heard that heavily accented voice interrupted their conversation. They didn't notice Shizuru had returned to the table while they were talking earlier and Natsuki started to feel like she wanted to jump off the cliff right at that moment. She found herself stumbled for words as she tried to make up some excuses. Multiple thoughts were running through her mind—did Shizuru heard the whole conversation? That was the last thing she wanted to happen and she definitely didn't want to make Shizuru uncomfortable with her.

"We meant that, um, you! You and Reito are a perfect match made in heaven. Yeah, we just said that! Right, Takeda?"

Takeda only chuckled at Natsuki's flustering attempt to cover up her blunder, "_Aaaaaabsolutely_!"

Though it was only in a matter of second, Natsuki could notice the slight twinkle in Shizuru's eyes as the latter just gave off a smile before she collected all her belongings and was ready to leave.

"I wish I could say the same. Anyway, I have to go now—"

Natsuki jolted up from her chair, it almost fell backwards, "Wait! What? You haven't finished your lunch..."

Shizuru smiled and shook her head, "Well, I got a little headache... You can collect you room key from the receptionist at the lobby. You should take a rest too. I'll talk to you later."

Without further delay, Shizuru collected her purse and she walked out the cafe, leaving Natsuki and Takeda alone at the table. Natsuki was tongue-tied as she watched Shizuru left. She turned to look at Takeda; he just grinned widely as he wiggled his eyebrows. Natsuki's hand moved by reflex when she saw that grin and it hit at the back of Takeda's head.

"Ouch! What the hell, man!?"

"You're so fucked, you know that?"

* * *

><p>She fiddled with the documents in her hands—another sigh escaped from her lips.<p>

"'Nee-chan?"

Mai quickly snapped her head up, finding a pair of soft violet eyes staring worriedly at her. _Ah, I did it again, didn't I?_

"What is it, Takumi?"

Takumi remained silent for a few second as he kept staring at Mai's face as if he was searching for more answers for his impending questions. Finally averting his gaze away, it was his turn to sigh.

"Hey~! What's with the long face?" Mai outstretched her hand and grabbed at Takumi's arm, pulling him to sit right next to her, "We're going to France, aren't we? Cheer up!" she patted Takumi's head as she giggled.

"Does Natsuki-san know when we're leaving?" Takumi's face contorted into a scowl.

Mai was left speechless at the question and she sighed, "Not now, Takumi..." She left the couch and walked into the kitchen, helping herself with a glass of cold water.

Takumi frowned at the response, quickly got onto his feet and followed the older woman, "Why not?"

"Why does everything need to be revolved around her?" Even though she knew exactly where this conversation might lead, it didn't stop her from being nervous and in fact, it was starting to annoy her.

"Because it does!" Takumi yelled, "It does! And you know that!"

Mai shook her head, chuckling bitterly, "Yes. I do. And that's why I'm trying to put an end to it." She carefully placed the glass against the counter, staring at Takumi's face with unwavering eyes.

"We're leaving this Sunday and that's that!"

* * *

><p>"You must be Kuga Natsuki?"<p>

"Yep. I am."

The receptionist beamed brightly, flipping through the small register book on her counter as she held up a key card, "You room is at the 8th floor, number 817."

Natsuki took the key with a smile and pivoted her feet, ready to walk to the elevator before she turned around again, "I'm sorry. May I ask which room is Fujino Shizuru staying?"

"It is against our policy to disclose the information, ma'am. I'm so sorry, I can't help you."

Tapping the key card against the counter top, Natsuki bit her lower lips and gave a quick bow to the young receptionist, "It's okay. I understand. Sorry to bother you..."

Natsuki walked to the elevator together with her duffel bag and she pressed her index finger at the 'UP' button. The luxurious interior was somewhat making her dizzy. She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the elevator to arrive and when it did, she quickly straightened her back, facing the door only to be surprised when she saw who was inside it.

"Shizuru?"

Shizuru's crimson eyes brightened at the sight of that raven haired beauty, "Ara, Natsuki? Are you going up to your room?"

Natsuki quickly slammed her hand at the door, holding it from closing, at the same time blocking Shizuru's only way out,

"Natsuki—?"

"I'm sorry!"

Shizuru blinked a couple times, confused, "About what?"

Natsuki's eyes went back and forth, staring at the lips and back to the pair of crimson eyes again, "About earlier with Takeda... I didn't mean to say what I said. It just came out of nowhere... I should've known better about you and Reito. I didn't mean to bring it up again..."

A soft sigh escaped from Shizuru's lips as she smiled, "Well, Natsuki should figure something a lot better than that to apologize to me..."

"What do you want me to do—"

A loud ring alarmed them and they quickly stepped out the elevator so it could start to move again.

"How about a little golf game?" Shizuru suggested with a smile as her eyes followed Natsuki's movement. That blunette was fidgeting on her feet—it was endearing.

Natsuki arched one brow, surprised and a little bit of relief when she saw that smile. At least she knew that Shizuru wasn't as angry as she was before, "Golf?"

Shizuru nodded cutely and Natsuki just couldn't hold a chuckle,

"Yeah, sure. But I got to leave my bag in my room. Could you wait for a moment?"

"No!" Shizuru demanded as she reached for Natsuki's arm and dragged her to the reception counter, "You can leave it to them. They will take care of it." she said as she signaled the young bellboy. He obliged with a smile as he took the bag and started to walk to the elevator.

Natsuki just watched in awe and turned to look at the grinning face beside her, "Seriously?"

"Yep, seriously!"

* * *

><p>Another swing and she missed the tiny white ball. It was sitting there on the green carpet and she could feel as if the ball was jeering at her for missing her hit. It was her seventh attempt—her pride was shattered in pieces. For the first time in her life, she was extremely pissed off over an inanimate object like a golf ball. She could just kick the ball or break the golf club in two so she could go back to her room and get some sleep.<p>

But she wouldn't do that.

"Ara? I assume that you have never played this game before?"

"If this isn't giving you the whole picture of how suck I am, yes, I have never played golf in my life."

Shizuru giggled at the obviously annoyed reply, "So, what kind of game that Natsuki usually prefers?"

Natsuki hunched her back, side-stepping slightly, trying to get a good stance as she pulled back the club and brought it close to the ball a couple of times, aiming for the right target.

"I don't play sports that much but I do enjoy cycling and basketball. I did play it a few times during college—_damn it!_" Natsuki cussed under her breath when she missed the ball again, "Besides, golfing is for lazy people. I don't do lazy games." Natsuki tossed away the ball which she assumed brought a bad luck to her and grabbed a new ball, placing it on top the golf tee as she ready herself for another swing.

"It is because Natsuki doesn't know how to play."

"It's stupid."

"It's therapeutic."

"What!?"

Shizuru giggled again as she stood up from her chair and walked to Natsuki, "Here. Let me teach you how to play..." and without any warning, she tentatively placed a palm at the small of Natsuki's back, feeling the younger woman flinched slightly at the contact. Her lips curved up a smile almost immediately.

"Turn your back at me," Shizuru put a little pressure at Natsuki's back, motioning her to face away instead of facing her.

Natsuki obliged with a low grunt. Now she had her back facing the brunette, Natsuki started to feel a little anxious. She didn't know why but she felt a bit uneasy, as if she could feel someone was staring at her intently.

Well indeed, there was someone. Shizuru bit her lower lips, trying so hard to endure the urge to run her fingers along that dark, silky hair, feeling its smoothness against her own skin.

Daring up a little, Shizuru raised her hand, "Your hair shouldn't be in your way..." she gently brushed the dark strands, revealing pale, smooth skin underneath it—slender neck and painfully enticing. Her heart was thundering inside her rib cage, pounding so hard, threatening to escape. She moved her hands downwards, cautiously grazing along Natsuki's toned arms as she reached down for the golf club in Natsuki's hands. She wrapped her hands around Natsuki's, feeling a slight tremble under her grasps. Her smile widened more.

"You have to raise it like this..." She whispered hotly at Natsuki's right ear. Natsuki could feel her entire body burning. Her grip around the iron rod involuntarily tightened.

"You have to turn your waist slightly like this..." Shizuru whispered again as her hands switched places from Natsuki's hands to her waist. It surprised her of how bold she had become. It surprised her even more when she found herself enjoying every second of it. She stared at her hands placement. They fitted perfectly on Natsuki's slim waist and one had to wonder why.

"Hey."

Shizuru blinked a couple of times. _Ara... Almost get caught..._ "Yes, Natsuki?"

Natsuki gulped when she felt another rush of hot breath against her skin, tickling her down to her spine. "My waist... Which way do I need to turn?"

"Like this and then you have to swing. Strong."

Shizuru smiled inwardly and she put a little pressure on Natsuki's waist. Natsuki did exactly and the club hit the golf ball. It flew far across the plain. Natsuki grinned at her accomplishment.

"Nice!"

Shizuru arched her brows as she smiled, "Not bad at all. You want to try again?"

Natsuki felt a slow rush of warmth slowly filling in her entire body as the prior scene replayed inside her brain, "Um, no. I'll watch." She swallowed nervously as she quickly handed over the golf club to Shizuru and went back to sit at the chair provided. Shizuru could no longer hold her smile when she saw those blushing cheeks.

For a moment they locked eyes and Natsuki gave her a shy smile, running a hand through her hair, looking away before saying, "I'll go get us some drinks. I think it's getting a little hot in here..." and she quickly walked out the golf training area.

Shizuru could feel her blood rushed to her face and ears, her heart was thumping crazily, breaking every record with its speed.

* * *

><p><em>I choose to love you in silence for in silence I receive no rejection.<em>

_I choose to love you in loneliness for in loneliness no one owns you but me._

_I choose to hold you in my dreams for in my dreams you have no end..._

_Until then, goodbye._

* * *

><p>She was fidgeting on her chair. She nervously looked around, biting her lower lips as she quietly waiting. Shizuru was late. She was asked to wait there in the restaurant while Shizuru went to get her father for a dinner together—but she was 5 minutes late.<p>

Waiting for the extra 5 minutes felt like she had been glued to the chair for 5 hours long. She was getting much more anxious as every minute passed—she could feel her throat started to get tighter. She assumed it was because of the heat coming from the hot plate in front of her. She quickly reached for the water bottle.

"Natsuki!"

Her lips were still attached to the bottle as she spun around—she choked, almost spurting the water out of her mouth.

"Sh-Shizuru!"

"My goodness. Are you okay?"

"Yeah-yeah! I was just surprised!"

Kimono. Shizuru was in a _freaking_ pair of green kimono, looking absolutely nothing but beautiful and Natsuki had to take a moment of silence to process with the view right before her.

Shizuru's sandy tresses were pulled into a loose bun—few strands of hair framing her face and Natsuki almost slapped herself for staring way too much than she intended to.

One way or another, she knew Shizuru was smiling—or more likely smirking. Somehow, Shizuru's smile was like giving off a kind of vibe which she could quickly feel, even though she wasn't even looking.

"Did you wait long?"

"No. Not really. Where's your father?"

"He's at that table, meeting with his friends." Shizuru pointed a finger at the table near the entrance door. Natsuki could see a tall, middle aged man in his hakama, standing there talking with a few other men. Her throat was starting to dry—she reached for the water bottle again.

"You sure are drinking a lot of water tonight..."

"Yeah, it's kinda hot..."

"Of course it is."

Another smirk coming from Shizuru, Natsuki's brain immediately made a mental flashback of what happened earlier at the golf training area. She wondered if Shizuru purposely emphasized her words just to get her reaction because it sure did successful—her face was burning hotly.

"Okay. My father's coming." Shizuru suddenly tugged at the hem of Natsuki's Monsters University sweatshirt, "And don't bring up anything about work. My father definitely hates it."

Natsuki's jaw dropped slightly in surprise, "Ha? So what's the purpose of this dinner anyway?"

Shizuru smiled sweetly, arching one brow in mischievous manner, "I just want you to meet my father."

"You're kidding?"

"No, I'm not—Hello father!" Shizuru quickly waved at the man as he strutted his way towards them, cutting off their prior conversation. Natsuki instantly straightened her back and gave a bow to the older man as he stood right before her.

"So... You're Kuga Natsuki?"

Natsuki swallowed nervously at the deep and guttural voice. The eyes, obviously the same color Shizuru inherited but the one she was looking at right now could simply make her pissed in her pants in any minute.

"Y-yes sir."

Why did she have to stutter?

He walked past her and towards the chair, "I heard that you own a Ducati... What model is it?"

Natsuki instantly turned to face Shizuru—the brunette was grinning. Natsuki managed to mouth out a silent 'What the hell?' at Shizuru's grinning face before answering the older man's question. Luckily he had his back at them, he was unaware of a certain silent conversation between his daughter and her blunette friend.

"It's an old model, sir. DRIII. I got it from my uncle."

Shizuru's father smiled as he waved for the chef to start cooking. He reached for his cup and the waitress quickly poured him _sake_ as if it was her routine. Natsuki took a seat right next the older man while Shizuru at the other. They were all facing the chef as he worked on cutting the ingredients, skilfully tossing them here and there on that huge hot plate, pouring _sake_ and it combusted into a quick flame.

Natsuki watched in awe as he performed his skill, "Awesome!"

"Jun! A plate for this lady."

"Yes, sir!" The chef placed a few pieces of meat he had cooked onto the plate and he outstretched his hand to Natsuki, smiling, "Have a taste, miss."

Natsuki was grinning from ear to ear as she took the plate, thanking the chef with another smile.

"Shizuru rarely took her friends back home. I guess you are one of her very few friends she got back in Tokyo other than Yukino?"

Natsuki hesitated before answering, "I guess I am." And again, she could feel Shizuru's eyes intently fixated at her.

"Hideaki-sama! Here's your plate!"

Hideaki took the plate and picked up the tea cup before he turned to look at Natsuki in the eye intently, "Thank you for being there for my daughter. She has been really secretive with her life, I've been wondering if she even has any friend other than Yukino!" He raised his _sake_ cup at Natsuki, "I'm grateful you're her friend. People who ride Ducati are the best in the world."

Natsuki stunned, her cup froze in her hands as she watched Hideaki in disbelieve. She wondered if Shizuru's father was drunk to come out with such sentiment.

"I wonder if you're implying to yourself, father?"

Natsuki heard Shizuru's voice and she quickly leaned back to look at the brunette; Shizuru was smiling widely.

Hideaki chuckled as he took a bite of his dinner, "Yes! Am I wrong, Natsuki?"

"No-no-no-no! You're absolutely right, sir! People who ride Ducati really are the best people in the world!"

"Ara? Tag-teaming already?"

Both Natsuki and Hideaki burst into laughs. They moved on to their dinner and small talks before Hideaki turned to look at Shizuru and popped the question she had dreaded to hear.

"When will I ever hear about your boyfriend? You've never take him to meet me. Or do you even have one? You rarely talk about this... Your mother is worried about you..."

Her eyes caught the sudden change in Shizuru's eyes but it was too quick, she almost missed it.

"Don't worry father, I will bring him home when the time comes..." Shizuru's voice turned sullen, Natsuki could notice in a heartbeat. She seriously thought Shizuru had introduced Reito to her family since Reito did it before but much to her surprise, Shizuru never did. Her father even seemed oblivious to the fact that Shizuru had dated Reito back then. It might not be a surprise to her that Shizuru probably wanted to wait for the right time to bring Reito home, but why she had to keep it a secret?

And now they were broke up, Natsuki wondered what Shizuru would say to her parents.

"Are you married, Natsuki?"

When the question suddenly turned its course towards her, it definitely took her off guard—her face instantly turned into a full-blown redness.

"No-no! I'm not, sir!"

Hideaki nodded a few times—his speech slurred and his eyes were glazed—Natsuki was sure that old man was already drunk. Maybe he had a few shots at his friends' table earlier. She slowly turned to look at Shizuru; she smiled and nodded her head as if she understood what was in her mind.

"Father, you seem tired. You want me to take you back to your room? You have to catch your flight tomorrow."

But Hideaki instantly waved his hand, dismissing his daughter's offer, "I'm fine! I want to have another drink with Natsuki-chan!"

Natsuki curved up a smile. Shizuru's father sure reminded her a lot of her own father, "I would love too, sir, but I can't handle alcohol so well."

It was a lie. She remembered she had a beer pong game with her classmates and she had to drink 8 cups of beer because her skill sucked big time. Even after 8 cups of beer and another 3 cups for the second game, she was still sober for the rest of the night.

Hideaki puffed out a sigh and half-heartedly obliged to Shizuru's request, "Okay, I'll go take a rest. Bye-bye, Natsuki-chan..." he waved at the blunette sloppily with an ear-splitting grin as Shizuru called his assistant to take Hideaki back to his room.

As they watched them leaving the restaurant, Shizuru turned to look at Natsuki who replied her stare with a quirk of her brows.

"What?"

"I think my father likes you."

Natsuki instantly chuckled at the statement. She slowly went back to her chair and continued with her dinner. Though she was a bit full but the food was too good that she just couldn't resist the temptation for another serving.

"Why did you laugh?" Shizuru took the seat next to Natsuki which was her father's earlier.

"Well, he's drunk. Everybody will like everyone if they're drunk." Natsuki laughed, "He will forget about me the next morning."

Shizuru placed her arms atop the counter and smiled widely, "Ara? Are you sure about that? My father is different though. He has this ability to remember anything even when he's drunk. Trust me when I said that he likes you."

Natsuki arched her brows skeptically at Shizuru's words, "Is it supposed to be a good thing?"

"Very." Shizuru giggled again as she watched Natsuki ate her dinner, "Anyway, when you said that you can't handle alcohol well, was it true?"

"No. I lied." Natsuki tried to suppress her smirk.

"I knew it."

"Your father is really funny though. And where the hell did he get 'People who ride Ducati really are the best people in the world!' thing?"

Shizuru shrugged, "I'm sure he referred to himself. He rides one though."

That definitely sparked Natsuki's interest, "Oh, really? What model?"

Shizuru placed a finger under her chin as she pondered, "I can't really remember but I have the picture." she said as she took out her phone, "I took a picture when he first bought it earlier this year. Here. That's the bike."

Natsuki leaned closer to the brunette and took a peek, "Oh! That 2014 Ducati Diavel! Awesome!" but then she noticed that Shizuru was the one who straddling the bike in a full body suit. But what surprised her more, Shizuru in the picture was wearing a full-face helmet but she could recognize her in a second.

"Is that you?"

Shizuru was surprised, "Ah, how did you know?"

_With body like that in a full leather biker suit, who wouldn't? _"I was just guessing." Natsuki said quickly took a sip of cold water as she felt a sudden rush of warmth all over her face. Since when she started to look at Shizuru _that _way? Natsuki swore she could hear something so loud, resonating inside her chest as if someone was beating a gong.

"So actually this whole meeting with your father is rather pointless, isn't it? What am I supposed to report to Haruka?"

Shizuru just smiled at Natsuki's concerned look, "My father has agreed with your proposal and Yukino already faxed all the details required for the renovation. They are probably at your office by now and yes, this whole meeting with my father actually _is _pointless."

Natsuki snorted, shaking her head in disbelieve, "Then, why did I have to come all the way here if things are already settled? It is kinda waste of time, don't you think?"

Shizuru was all smiling and Natsuki's curiosity multiplied.

"A break."

"What?"

Shizuru raised a finger, signalling the young waiter. He nodded and brought along a small bottle of expensive sake and handed it over to that brunette. Shizuru locked her eyes momentarily at Natsuki's inquiring stare and smiled while pouring a small cup for Natsuki.

"You need it."

Natsuki frowned more—Shizuru really was taunting with her patience which had slowly thinning with each elusive replies. Her eyes went down to look at the clear liquid which rippled inside that china cup. She really had no interest to get drunk that night.

"It has been difficult for you these past few days..." Crimson orbs found the confused emeralds again, "Right?"

Natsuki was tongue-tied, Shizuru was smiling again. Natsuki wondered how it was even possible for a smile to completely soothe your aching chest but Shizuru's smile did that to her. She did admit how beautiful Shizuru was and her feature was something exceptional even at their very first encounter. In all honesty, she hadn't met anyone like Shizuru who effortlessly made her brain jumbled up with her conscience and it had her thinking—a lot.

"So I figured you could use a little holiday. Yes, the actual plan was to have you to meet my father but I think you need a break from work, away from your office..." Shizuru paused as her gaze fixated at Natsuki, "Away from _eveything._"

Yes, she did. She really needed it but she hadn't realized until Shizuru mentioned it to her. She hadn't have any break since she started working months ago.

Away from work, away from home. _Away from Mai._

"Am I wrong?"

Natsuki quickly shook her head, her fingers reached for the cup and trailed its outline gently as if it would break if she didn't careful, "No. You're not..." Natsuki brought up the cup closer to her mouth, her lips slowly curved up into a smile as she stared into the depth of crimson which was looking at hers expectantly.

"You are totally right..."

* * *

><p>He fiddled with the phone in his hand as he stared at the floor. So many things continuously popped inside his mind, making him think so much to the point he started to feel his head throbbing painfully. His chest started to ache.<p>

Doubts and fears flooded his thought—he needed some sort of security; an assurance, a word of guarantee.

Or a better word; a promise—but he hadn't received any.

And it scared the hell out of him.

* * *

><p>She blinked a couple of times at the soft ringing sound, looping countless times as much as she could remember. Her hands patted the mattress, trying to find the small gadget which blaring off the annoying ringtone to the point of interrupting her slumber. Grunting softly, she tossed around and found the said item laid under the jumble of pillows and comforter.<p>

She had to squint her eyes at the bright light emanated from the screen and it took her a few seconds for her eyes to get used to the light. The room she occupied was dim since the curtains were drawn and she knew that she had overslept when she looked at the digital clock on her phone screen; 12.05 in the afternoon.

But her eyes instantly widened at the sight of 32 notifications—her hearts started to beat erratically. They were all missed calls from this one least expected person, or someone she had never even thought would make so many calls to her.

And there was a text message.

[We're leaving today at 7.00 pm.]

It was from Takumi.

* * *

><p>Shizuru walked along the corridor with a box of pastries she got from the bakery close to the hotel. It was one of the best in town and she wanted Natsuki to have a taste of it with a cup of coffee she bought earlier. It might be a little late to be called as having a breakfast and a little too early for lunch, so she decided to have a brunch. Maybe they could have other meal for lunch later on because they had the rest of the day to spent touring around the city.<p>

Shizuru couldn't suppress a smile as she mulled silently at the thought of taking Natsuki out for a little sight-seeing. As she reached at Natsuki's hotel room, she held all the items in one hand and brought up her other hand to knock at the door, waiting as she listened to the hasty footsteps.

"Good morning, Natsuki—"

Her greet choked up when Natsuki instantly walked away as soon as she got the door open. It surprised her when she saw Natsuki already dressed up in her jeans and white shirt as if she was ready to go somewhere. The look on Natsuki's face worried her even more—the girl looked panic and she was moving back and forth, collecting her belongings to stuff them into her bag.

"I have to go."

She didn't even have to ask, Natsuki already answered her impending question.

"What? Why?"

"I need to see her..."

Again, it didn't need a genius to figure out who Natsuki was referring to. Shizuru felt her heart was like being pulled and this unknown mass started to grow between her throat and her chest—it was painful.

"But, I thought you—"

"What?"

Natsuki's quick response made Shizuru instantly swallowed her next words. _What? What did you think about, Shizuru?_ She tilted her head up, finding Natsuki's eyes on hers, inquiring and somewhat confused. Everything was like stopped at that very second as soon as their eyes met. She didn't know why it felt like the stare was starting to choke her. The air around her grew heavier with each breath, it was stifling. _What were you thinking...?_

"No-nothing... I thought you said you want to stay until tomorrow..." A good answer and one smile sure could take away one's curiosity.

Natsuki quickly shook her head, "I guess not." She said it curtly. She moved to her bag again, packing the remaining of her belongings hurriedly, unaware of the longing gaze coming from the other person across the room.

"It will be impossible to get a flight ticket right now..."

Natsuki halted at zipping up her bag, "Oh? Really? So how am I going to get back to Tokyo?"

"Train." Shizuru said, unaware of the tone of her voice which had gotten deeper and deeper with each words.

"How long does it takes?"

"6 hours..."

Shizuru watched Natsuki mumbling out something inaudible, maybe she was doing a calculation for the exact time she had and she was right. Another smile appeared on Natsuki's face and she just knew it. It never failed to amaze her on how good she was on reading Natsuki's expression. That blunette was so transparent with her feelings and her face was often an obvious giveaway. Sometimes she wished she could be like that, freely expressing what she had bottled up inside.

"Could you please take me to the train station then?"

_No._

"Sure!"

_She's going to take 6 hours train from Kyoto to Tokyo just to see her. _

Shizuru clutched the box in her grasp desperately.

_Doesn't that spell 'love' to you?_

* * *

><p>"I'll call you as soon as I get there!"<p>

"Sure."

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Shizuru. You helped me a lot..."

"It's okay... You're welcome! And take this with you. You haven't had anything for breakfast." Shizuru handed over the box of pastries she bought earlier—the one was meant to be eaten together.

"I'll see you back in Tokyo?"

"Of course..."

Natsuki wanted to say more but the bell rang loudly, cutting off her words. She turned to look at Shizuru; she just smiled and nodded.

"Have a safe journey—" Shizuru's words were interrupted when Natsuki suddenly pulled her and hugged her tightly. She found her arms froze at the sudden contact. As she was about to wrap her arms around Natsuki, the latter pulled away and to her utmost surprise, Natsuki's face was flushing red brilliantly.

"Natsuki...?"

_RANG!_

It was the second bell, alarming the passengers to get ready for boarding. Natsuki didn't slip a chance for Shizuru to ask. Her impending question was pretty much written on her face. It would be utterly embarrassing to let that brunette teasing her more with the blushing on her face.

"I'll be going!" Natsuki quickly hopped into the train and the door closed at the very last second—Shizuru almost screamed in panic. Natsuki was grinning behind the window glass and there was nothing Shizuru could do to scold that playful blunette. Shizuru just shook her head, chuckling when Natsuki waved at her excitedly.

The train started to move—Shizuru watched it getting further and further and soon it disappeared from her sight. The warmth of Natsuki's arms around her earlier was still lingered. She hadn't realized that her heart was pounding so hard until now. So many things came rushing in to her mind, it made her feel dizzy. Her brain was like having its own Q & A session.

So many questions yet so little answers.

* * *

><p>For the umpteenth times that day, another sigh escaped her lips. She tilted her head up, staring at the ceiling of the airport structure. Later, she slowly closed her eyes as she listened to the voices of the airport receptions. Takumi had left to buy some magazines before they check-in. He had gone for almost 10 minutes—she wasn't that worried because she had another 20 minutes before checking-in.<p>

"Mai!"

She thought she was hearing things. Even though her seat was a bit far from other people, the airport was still busy with the announcements so she concluded that she probably had misheard it.

"Mai!"

Now she was sure as hell she wasn't mishearing things as she saw one raven haired woman running towards her direction and slowly came into a halt as soon as she was within earshot.

"Natsuki? But I thought you're in Kyoto?"

"I was. I just got here minutes ago..." It sure did explain her ragged breaths and slightly tousled hair.

"What—? Why?"

Mai knew by heart that she wasn't prepared for this. She wasn't expecting this but it would be an utter lie if she didn't wish for Natsuki would come to see her. Seeing that girl catching for breath like she had ran for miles, something was ticking inside her chest, trying to convince her and replaying words '_Stay. Stay. Stay.'_

"What am I to you?"

"Natsuki?"

"What am I to you!?"

Mai swallowed whatever that lodged inside her throat as she tried to find Natsuki's eyes, "Y-you're my friend!"

"No! We're not just friends..." Natsuki's voice was grim, shaking her head as she took a step forward, "Friends don't talk to each other like the way we talk to each other..."

"Friends don't treat each other like how we treat each other..." Another step and she was standing right in front Mai, staring into the depth of her lavender eyes—unblinking and utterly resolved. Mai couldn't find the strength to tear her gaze away. She felt like it was locked at place.

For the first time in her life, she was really scared being under Natsuki's stare like that.

"Why are you lying to yourself like this? You're just putting off the inevitable!" Her brows drawn close together into a soft frown. Her lips tugged into a sad smile, "Sooner or later, someone's going to get hurt and that someone is definitely going to be _you_..."

Natsuki paused briefly for a breath, her jaw tightened, her eyes were glistened with tears, "Because I know I already am..." Natsuki shrugged and put her palms out like she was making herself an open target.

Mai finally looked away—her own tears were threatened to fall anytime soon. She just didn't want Natsuki to see it, "Natsuki... please..."

"You knew that I would come back, chasing. You knew I would! For years I tried to convince myself you were a mistake and I failed, because I always had an explanation to why I could leave you but there was nothing that could tell me why I kept coming back."

Mai was completely speechless at the revelation—her eyes quickly searched for Natsuki's and when it did, she felt like as if her legs were turning into jelly. She clutched at the seat tightly to avoid herself from falling to her feet.

"I love you... I'm pretty sure you're still aware about my feelings for you but you decided to not doing anything about it. You left then you came back... And now you're leaving again... I just... I just don't know what you're trying to do or what you're looking for! We've been friends for years but it seem like you don't know me at all."

Natsuki's voice was trembling, she was at the verge of tears and Mai had sworn before that she would kill anyone who had cause the tears.

But she did realize that it was _her _who caused it—would she kill herself for causing it?

"I won't leave you. And we both know that I never did. You, you're a part of me that I will never let go." Natsuki told Mai and later, when Mai would think back to this moment, she'll wish she would have stopped Natsuki there or just walked away—anything to keep herself from hearing what Natsuki said next.

"But I just want you to know that I'm done waiting."

Like a huge boulder lifted off her shoulders, Natsuki breathed out a heavy sigh. She could feel something deep inside her growing; the hollow was getting bigger with every breath she took. Now it had her thinking, being with Mai or even just thinking about her, it felt as if she was breathing underwater. It had been years that she felt like her lungs were being confined, it was stifling and the air was never enough.

She wondered why now she could finally breathe easy.

"You are the girl who can't leave, and I'm the girl who can't say goodbye..."

"Eh—?"

Mai went to hug Natsuki and as she held her close, she murmured, "Please, just stay like this for a bit longer..."

They stayed in each others' arms for the next few minutes, inhaling each others' scent like the air they breathed—can never get too much, while without it, you will die. She whispered words to her ears, Natsuki's eyes widened at the soft breath against the outer shell of her ear. Her body went rigid; her arms were frozen.

"I love you."

The words repeated itself in her mind as she felt a soft pressure against her lips—Natsuki felt like her entire being was in overdrive. She turned to look at Mai when the latter released her hold. Mai just curved up a smile.

"So please, wait for me... just a little longer. That's all I asked..."

Natsuki watched as Mai walked further away from her towards the international departure exit. She saw her waved before disappearing from her sight.

Her heart sunk deeper. She should be happy but why did it feel like something was gnawing at her heart? She felt the muscles along her jaw tensed and something was stinging her eyes. She could feel the upcoming tears, threatening to fall. Natsuki quickly tilted her head up, staring at the ceiling. Her sight was getting blurry.

_Sometimes, you wait so long for something that when it finally arrives..._

"You're late..." Natsuki screwed her eyes shut, desperately trying to stop the tears from falling, "It's too late..."

_...you no longer need it._

* * *

><p><strong>So? What do you guys think? Pardon my grammars. <strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, everyone! How's life? **

**Thank you so much for the reviews! I just wish I could reply to each and every one of you personally. T.T**

****A huge thanks to my beta, Cornelia, she's super awesome!****

****So, here is the latest chapter. Hope you'll like it. ****

****Disclaimer: Mai-Hime is owned by Sunrise.****

* * *

><p><strong>The Trouble With Love is…<strong>

**Chapter 12**

_Guys and girls around her found it hard to get up-close and personal because of her status in the eye of society. Making friends with girls was hard enough—trying to find a boyfriend, she certainly had no time for that._

_But this one particular guy, going by the name of 'Kanzaki Reito' — a real life prince; good looks, charming, intelligent and the heir of the most notable family. He had been holding out for a long time, nobody ever made such effort and it impressed her. Still, she couldn't feel the need for him and she hadn't stopped questioning herself about it. It made her thinking a lot. Was it really absurd that she didn't feel whatever needed to be felt whenever she was with Reito? She had never been in any relationship before so she really was unsure of everything that was going on between them._

_Shizuru loved new challenges. She loved anything that piqued her attention and Reito was one of them. Reito broke the monotonous routine she was used to, even if only for a few sparse of hours a day. _

_Maybe she could learn to love that man if she gave herself a chance to do so. _

_Unbeknownst to Shizuru, to care and love someone was totally different from being in love with someone. She loved Reito in the respect that she genuinely cared about that man—about his well being, about his life, about him. Still, there was a void which Reito couldn't fill, as much as she wanted him to. _

_She wished it was him, but she just couldn't put a finger on what had been missing all these years. _

_Then of course, there was Natsuki—she came like a tidal wave, crashing upon her, washing her offshore, pulling her back into the water and almost suffocating her. _

_Still, she couldn't get enough._

* * *

><p>"Ahhh… so that's what happened…"<p>

"Yup…"

They fell into silence, simultaneously brought their respective cup to their mouth and took a sip at the very same time. Then, they sighed.

"Why wouldn't you be happy about that?"

It took quite a moment for her to reply as she quietly fiddled with the lid of her cup. The coffee was steaming, she closed her eyes, savoring the soothingly dark-roasted scent. When she cracked her eyes open again, her sight was clouded by steam and she had to blink a couple of times.

"Because when she kissed me... I remembered someone else."

Takeda instantly spun around to look at the raven haired woman sitting next to him. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Do I know this 'someone else'?"

Natsuki remained silent as she brought her cup back to her mouth, took a long, quiet sip and tried to ignore Takeda's inquiring stare. It didn't take long for Takeda to put two and two together. His eyes brightened as a thought crossed his mind and his lips slowly curved up into a smirk.

"I think we're thinking about the same person here..."

"Yea..."

Takeda chuckled, shaking his head, "What did you get yourself into?"

Natsuki smiled, shrugging slightly, "Help me."

* * *

><p><em>Mai gradually leaned in. Their faces slowly inched closer; the tip of their noses grazed against each other. It surprised her to find Natsuki still remained motionless. Her emerald orbs glistened under the light, staring back at Mai with this look that made her confused. But still, she had gone this far, going back now definitely wasn't an option.<em>

_This was the first time Natsuki had gazed, like really gazed, into Mai's eyes. She never was a fan of eye contact and would always be the first to look away. Her eyes fixed at Mai's, gazing into the depth of violets like she was searching for something—looking for answers to these unspeakable questions which had lingered in her mind for so many years. _

_When Natsuki felt Mai's bottom lip graze her upper lip, this brought her back to her senses. __H__er eyes widened when she saw Mai's closed eyes and her lips barely touching hers. Before Mai could push the kiss even further, Natsuki shut her eyes tightly, and her thoughts wandered again._

_'So everything you felt for her is gone? Nothing's ever that simple.' _

_Haruka's voice rang inside her head again. _

_She knew the answer. She would have laughed in __H__aruka's face right now, given the chance. Why bother looking for an answer when it was already inside your mind? Mai was standing right in front of her, offering her the very thing she had been dreaming about all these years, but her mind constantly went back to that certain person._

_'What am I doing?'_

_If this had happened 7 years ago, she probably would have become one of the happiest person on earth._

_But not this time..._

* * *

><p>"From a stranger to someone I can't stop thinking about..."<p>

"If she's constantly on your mind, maybe she's meant to be there..."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"You know the answer yourself..."

Shizuru brought a palm over her mouth as she took a deep breath, "It's crazy."

Yukino smiled widely. She reached for the small china cup on the coffee table with her right hand, "Nothing makes sense nowadays…" Her words earned a small chuckle from the brunette.

"That's true."

"Especially not the things going on inside your head." Yukino said, quirking her eyebrows playfully as she pointed a finger to her temple in a rotating motion.

"What is that supposed to mean!?" Shizuru jolted from her seat, looking slightly offended.

"I mean that you would be crazy—" Yukino chuckled, fuelling the fire in Shizuru's eyes, "—_if_ you didn't fall in love with Kuga-san. She's a downright hottie and a brilliant genius, I must say."

"It sounds to me like you're the one in love with her." Shizuru smiled slyly, hugging her lower torso as she rested her back against the leather sofa. Yukino made a face as she shook her head.

"Not exactly my type."

Shizuru laughed at that, "So what _exactly _is your type?"

"Kuga-san's friend."

"Suzushiro-san?" Shizuru was wide-eyed at the revelation and Yukino knew she had to explain her reasoning.

"She's adorable. Smart and a little hot-headed at times. It is fun being around her."

"Ara.. That definitely reminds me of someone…" Shizuru paused with a smile, "No wonder they're best friends."

Yukino giggled, "No mystery there…"

They lapsed into silence again as Yukino started to work on the papers whilst Shizuru turned her attention to the window. Her mind wandered to where she wanted to be the most—to see that certain person she had been avoiding for 2 weeks. Somewhere deep inside her chest, she felt this violent, throbbing ache. Part of her wanted to see that girl so much and the other part was scared of what might happen when they met. She had been ignoring calls and texts from Natsuki ever since she returned to Tokyo and she had been avoiding Reito's as well.

This time of uncertainty was almost like having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. The devil fantasized of ways to bring Natsuki closer, but the rational angel knew that this was just a selfish wish and would end up hurting them both.

"Remember that night when I told you my biggest secret?"

Shizuru blinked a couple of times, her gaze lingered quietly at Yukino's face, "Yes, I remember."

"How are you feeling now?"

Shizuru bit her lower lip, her fists clenched, "Scared…"

Yukino smiled, "Exactly… but it does feel good too, doesn't it?"

* * *

><p>"So… what are you going to do now?" Takeda swallowed the last piece of cinnamon bun and wiped his fingers clean before reaching for his cup. Natsuki sighed heavily, putting down the small pack of biscuits atop her lap,<p>

"I don't know… I haven't gotten a chance to talk to her since last 2 weeks…"

"Why?"

Natsuki shrugged, "She didn't pick up any of my calls. She hasn't replied to my texts. And yesterday when I came to her office, her assistant said that she's still in Kyoto. So, yeah…"

Takeda rubbed at his chin, "She's _that_ busy?"

"I think so. Maybe she's doing things with her father or something. I don't know…"

Another sigh escaped from between her lips; Takeda narrowed his eyes,

"Who are you trying to convince here?"

Natsuki replied with a silent stare and went back to cast her gaze over the children playing around the park, "I don't know… I think she's been avoiding me," Natsuki scratched her head frantically as thoughts hit her, "Maybe she overheard what we talked about that day, Takeda! Urgh! I'm so stupid!"

Takeda frowned more, "What!? But you told me that you two went for a golf game and some sexy times ensued when she was teaching you how to play!"

Natsuki's cheeks blushed almost immediately as the scene replayed automatically as soon as Takeda mentioned it, "Oh my god… No! I don't know now! She's confusing me!"

"Why do you have to be so confused!? From my gay analysis, I'm sure as hell that she's interested in you!" Takeda said, clicking his tongue and winking cheekily.

"She's fucking straight, Takeda! Did you forget that!?" Natsuki's voice was close to yelling and she slowly clutched her head in frustration, "And she used to date my brother! Do you really expect me to jump into the wagon as soon as I see the signs?"

"Well yes, you got a point there but if you think a woman wouldn't change teams just because she used to date a guy, you're as clueless as a camel which has inexplicably found itself at the North Pole—and this is coming from a person who one experienced such cluelessness firsthand."

Natsuki snorted instantly at the remark and eventually burst into loud laughs.

Takeda was blushing brightly and quickly waved his hand to stop Natsuki's laughs but failed miserably, "No really, serious now! Remember when you almost pulled me out the gay hole? God! I was so attracted to you that you almost made me straight for you! But thank god I managed to find my unicorn and ride back to where I belong…"

Natsuki wiped her tears and laughed again, "I can't even… I remember our first meeting. You dressed like you were hit by a gay thunder. Everything about you screamed 'GAY' that night! Hahahahaha~!"

They shared hearty laughs, that only subsided when they heard even louder laughs coming from the park. The sun was setting, children were playing tag and they were running around, laughing and screaming. They went into silence as they watched the children and Natsuki was the first to break the ice between them.

"Shizuru is just… god, I don't even know the best word to explain her…" Natsuki chuckled, shaking her head as she rubbed her temple, a smile forming on her lips, "She's—it just happened. She happened to me."

"How sure are you?"

"I'm not so sure... But she's constantly on my mind."

Takeda nodded quietly as he turned to look forward, watching an old man pushing an ice-cream cart along the pedestrian path, "You wanna know what I think?"

"Yes, please!" Natsuki replied keenly, watching Takeda taking a deep breath and smoothing his spiky hair with his right hand.

"I think you're not in love with her."

The reaction was pretty much expected—Natsuki looked back at him incredulously and her mouth was about to spurt out a response but as an experienced attorney, Takeda had an advantage over Natsuki.

Reverse-psychology. That was all he needed.

"You're in love with the emotions she causes in you. You're the one searching and she's the one giving while you actually need it from someone you truly want. Don't get easily confused…"

Natsuki frowned more; she was gaping slightly as she trained her eyes on Takeda's nonchalant face. She meant to oppose Takeda's opinion over her problem but her words were stuck in her throat. There was truth in his words and they hit the right spot.

"You think so?"

Takeda quirked one eyebrow with a smile, "Yeah, but still, it is too early for you to see where this thing might go and I can't just simply judge you for what you feel."

Natsuki remained silent as she hung her head low, staring at the pair of Chucks she wore. Takeda smiled wider and cracked his knuckles, yawning loudly,

"You know, every time someone tells me that they're not going for looks and that personality is what they're looking for, it makes me wanna scream 'bullshit' at their face."

Natsuki instantly snorted, "Isn't it true though? If you looked like a supermodel but have the attitude of an asshole, I would kick that ass to the moon—far away from me!"

"Why don't you think again? Wasn't Shizuru-san's undeniably pretty face that first caught your attention?"

Natsuki could feel her cheeks tingle—surging with heat as her brain made a flashback to the moment when she first met Shizuru.

"Well yeah, it's true, but all the other stuff that came after were the ones to get me hooked. They way she talk, her accent, her obsession with tea and purple—and she's so freaking smart. I love talking to her…" Her lips unconsciously curved up at the memories, "Yeah… I love talking to her…" she repeated and Takeda just smiled.

"It sounds to me like you know everything about her."

Like being woken up from her day-dreaming, Natsuki instantly frowned when she saw Takeda's cheeky smile, "No, I'm not and why are you smiling?"

Takeda chuckled, shaking his head as he stood up, and shoved his hands into his coat pockets, "You didn't see this coming, did you?"

"What?"

Takeda laughed again as he pulled up the lapels of his coat to cover his neck. The weather was getting colder. It was only in a matter of days before the snow would start falling.

"By the time you figure out what she is to you, you'll already be in love."

* * *

><p>They had wandered a couple of blocks away from the park when the sound of a ringtone broke the silence. Takeda watched Natsuki reach for her back pocket to retrieve her phone.<p>

"Is that a call?"

"No. Just a message—" Natsuki's eyes widened at the sight of the name appering on the screen, "It's from Shizuru!"

Takeda instantly leaned closer to take a look at the text but Natsuki quickly tilted the phone away from Takeda's prying eyes.

"Aww, stingy!"

Natsuki stuck her tongue out at Takeda's irritated face and carefully read the text. Her expression slowly brightened, making her look almost like a child who had unexpectedly won a spelling competition.

"Did she ask you out for a date?"

Natsuki was all grinning as she put away the phone in her jacket, "No. She asked me to come over for dinner tonight to celebrate her new apartment?"

"New apartment?" Takeda asked.

Natsuki just shrugged, "I didn't know she get a new apartment..."

"Maybe that was what keeping her busy these past few weeks..." Takeda presumed. Natsuki quietly agreed.

"Anyway!" Takeda smiled slyly, "If she cooks something like eggs, broccoli or figs and finishes up with chocolate or strawberry for desserts, you _really_ need to be careful."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because those foods will make you horny—_aaargh~! _NO! Not the hair!"

Takeda wailed in pain when Natsuki pulled at his hair. Her face was blazing red. Takeda's words definitely had ignited something inside of her—countless of inappropriate images were flooding her mind and she was so ashamed of her herself for having such thoughts. _Now I have to think of something else to get rid of these images!_

"Is she a good cook?" Takeda asked, fixing his slightly tousled hair.

"I don't know. I've never tasted her cooking before—" now she remembered something, her eyes widened at Takeda's dumbfounded face,

"Shit… I forgot to ask where her new apartment is…"

* * *

><p>"Are you sure?"<p>

"Yes, ma'am. I'm a fan of that brand. You can't go wrong with it."

She carefully read at the label, frowning slightly at the sight of the white creamy substance inside the jar—she felt her stomach gurgling uncomfortably. Shizuru just couldn't understand why she drove all the way to the store just to find a bottle of condiment she never had cared about before.

But the thought of Natsuki coming for a dinner made it all worth it. Shizuru smiled, humming happily as she walked to the cashier.

* * *

><p>She was in the middle of buttoning up her shirt when she heard knocking on the door.<p>

"Just a second!" she said, pulling her hair to one side and tucking some of the wayward strands behind her ear. She took a quick glance at herself in the mirror before she jogged to the door.

"O-oh… Reito?"

The young man smiled at the startled look on Natsuki's face, "Are you going somewhere?" he asked, noticing the nice, light blue shirt Natsuki wore.

Her brows involuntarily knotted at the question. The tone of his voice somewhat irked her but she decided to put it aside and didn't want to cause as much fuss as she would have if she hadn't controlled herself much earlier.

"Yeah. A dinner." She answered curtly, fiddling with the hem of her sleeves.

They fell into silence. Natsuki was looking at the door frame while Reito was scanning the floor. None dared to speak more whilst the awkwardness intensified. From the corner of her eye, Natsuki noticed that Reito was squirming on his feet—a habit he usually displayed whenever he had something to ask or say.

_Funny. _A thought crossed her mind. Sometimes she did ask herself how their relationship had turned so bitter as they grew up, to the point where they no longer could stay in the same room, breathing the same air. The thought of having a conversation like they used to when they were younger somehow sounded ridiculous to her now.

"Well, maybe next time then." Reito gave a curt nod and was about to walk away when Natsuki called,

"Wait! What next time?"

Reito smiled, scratching at the nape of his neck, "I was thinking of asking you out for a dinner together. It's just the two of us in this house. I can't cook and neither can you." He chuckled when he saw Natsuki raising an eyebrow at his words.

"Yeah, maybe next time." Natsuki scoffed and walked back into her room to take her jacket and other belongings. She walked past Reito after switching off the light when the dark haired man called for her name again,

"Natsuki!"

"Yeah?"

"Have you heard from Shizuru?"

Her feet froze from descending down the stairs, "No. Why?" She heard a small sigh coming from Reito and she slowly turned to look at the man. Reito looked troubled and somehow it made her worried, "Is there a problem?" she asked again.

Reito walked closer and a hand clutched at the railing, "I haven't seen Shizuru or talked to her these past few weeks. I went to the hotel and her staff said that she was on a holiday. I thought maybe you knew something…"

His tone was a little accusatory—or maybe she was just being paranoid. Natsuki silently swallowed the invisible lump in her throat.

"What makes you think that?"

"Some of the staff saw you at the hotel. Quite a few times."

Natsuki could feel Reito's stare, trying to peel off her skin layer by layer, "Yes, I did. It was for my job."

Reito looked surprised, "Job?"

"Yeah. We got the renovation project. Dad didn't say anything?" Natsuki's lips curved up in a smile. She could see his jaw tighten, his throat working as he gulped.

"No. He _obviously _didn't."

"Oh, you know now. See ya!" Natsuki hopped down a few steps but then Reito called out to her again,

"Natsuki!"

"What?!" Natsuki barked. Now she started to get annoyed. She tilted her head up, frowning at the dark haired man. She watched Reito walk down a few stairs as his gaze locked on hers.

"I'm trying, okay?"

Natsuki frowned more at the look on Reito's face, "What?"

Reito motioned a finger, pointing at Natsuki and back to himself, "This. Us. I'm trying."

"What the hell are you trying to say here?" Natsuki shook her head as she crossed her arms. She didn't quite get the whole picture of what Reito was trying to explain.

Reito's shoulders slumped as he took a deep breath, "Since when did we turn out like this? We no longer speak a word to each other, eat at the same table—"

"And whose fault is that?" Natsuki interjected with a dry smile and cold stare, "I have no problem with you. You're the one who obviously has a problem with me. You're the one who stopped talking whenever I tried to make a conversation and you're the one who walked away as soon as I got to the table, thinking that we could have a dinner together. So yeah, you're the one who changed, not me."

Reito was silenced by Natsuki's words—his grip on the railing slowly tightened and he quickly averted his eyes away from directly looking into Natsuki's. The fire in her eyes was enough to burn his guts to ashes.

"Okay, seriously. I'm going to be late now… Maybe we can talk later…" Natsuki skipped down the stairs, "Or not." Her voice slowly went out of earshot as the front door closed—Reito stared into the empty space.

"It was you…" He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white and his jaw slowly tightening, "You made me change."

* * *

><p>She turned off the engine, dismounted her bike and walked towards the main entrance of the luxurious apartment. It was secured electronically and apparently had a unique way to gain access into the building. Not to mention it had 24-hour CCTVs doing a live coverage and Natsuki felt like she was being watched.<p>

Earlier that afternoon, she had asked Shizuru for the address. Now she was clueless of what she needed to do to get into the building. Right in front of her, there was a device which looked like an ATM machine; a slot for a keycard and numpad for entering a password. Natsuki tapped at the machine as she pondered. Shizuru had told her the password but she had kind of forgotten about it. The earlier argument with Reito and the subsequent anger had caused her to forget things rather too quickly. Natsuki quickly shook her head as she searched for her cellphone.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi!"

_"Natsuki? What is it? Where are you?"_

Natsuki grinned quietly as she peeked into the glass doors, "Right down your new apartment. It's nice, by the way!"

_"Thank you but why didn't you come up?"_

"I-uh, kinda forgotten the password…" Natsuki rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment as if Shizuru was standing right in front of her. There was a soft chuckle at the other end of the line and Natsuki could feel her cheeks heat up.

_"It's 1508. Remember it, okay?"_

Natsuki nodded her head as her fingers moved to key in the number—a soft ring echoed and Natsuki could see the door slowly sliding open, "Okay, ma'am! I'm coming up now!" Natsuki chuckled when she heard soft giggles on the other line and ended the call. She entered just as the door was about to close again. Natsuki walked to the elevator, waiting as she studied the interior. It was lavishly decorated with the combination of modern and classic Japanese design. It made her smile because it certainly reminded her of someone.

Soft chiming brought her attention back to the elevator. The door which led to the metallic lift slid open and a couple of people walked out, smiling and nodding their heads—Natsuki instantly bowed in response as she walked in. Her hand reached for the number 15 and pressed the button, it immediately illuminated in a bright green color and the door quietly closed. Resting her head against the cool metal wall behind her, she let her thoughts wander again. Reito's words kept replaying in her head and there was a certain lump in her chest that sent cold shiver through her body. It made her think all over again and a question suddenly popped inside her mind.

_Was it really over between him and Shizuru?_

* * *

><p>Shizuru tapped her foot impatiently. Natsuki said that she was on the way up but that was like 20 minutes ago. She started to feel worried. She did give Natsuki a couple of calls but none of them were answered. Her thought was imagining any possibility which could lead to Natsuki's delay and she imagined the worst.<p>

_Did the elevator get stuck?_

A single drop of cold sweat slowly tricked down her temple. She rushed to the door—only to be surprised by the presence of a certain raven haired beauty standing right outside it, hugging a huge basket of fresh fruits while her right arm was outstretched and a finger was ready on the doorbell.

"Oh, hey! I was about to ring the bell—"

"Did something happen to you?"

Natsuki lowered her arm, blinking her eyes a few times in confusion to Shizuru's question, "No, nothing happened… Why?" She studied the look on Shizuru's face like she just heard one dreadful news—wide eyed and panic, "Shizuru? Are you okay?"

Shizuru could finally release the breath she had been holding for the past few minutes and smiled, "I thought something happened to you. I've waited for 20 minutes and you never showed up. I thought something must have gone wrong with the elevator."

Natsuki flashed a toothy grin as she brought up the huge basket in her arms, "I was on the way up here but then I realized that I didn't bring you anything… So I went down and grabbed this for you…" She handed the basket over and chuckled at Shizuru's pout, "Sorry for making you wait and get all worried. I didn't notice your calls. I changed my ringtone and maybe I forgot to turn up the volume a bit."

Shizuru took the basket and hugged it happily, "Thank you for this, but…" Shizuru stopped, staring at the basket's contents with one eyebrow arched, "Pineapple? _Really?_"

"It's healthy!" Natsuki laughed.

"_Right…_" Shizuru shook her head at Natsuki's naughty grin, "Please come inside. Dinner's ready!"

"Awesome!"

* * *

><p>Her eyes scanned the table—it had everything except for one particular jar. She mentally scolded herself for not buying a bottle while she was at the store earlier. She turned to look at the brunette who was preparing for their drinks. Her stare lingered momentarily then she quickly shook her head. <em>There's no way she would eat such a thing, right?<em>

"Is there something wrong with your food, Natsuki?" Shizuru's question almost made her jump on her chair.

"No-no! I haven't had a bite yet." Natsuki swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn't sure why she had to be so nervous, "Um, Shizuru?"

"Yes?" Shizuru raised her brows as she slowly sat on her chair as she set down her own glass of wine.

"Do you have any—"

"Mayonnaise?"

Natsuki blinked a couple of times in surprise, "Uh, yeah... How did you know?"

Shizuru chuckled lightly as she got off her chair and walked to the fridge, "I'm that good."

"What!?"

"Hahaha, no actually I remember that day when I stayed a night at your house and I saw you dipping celery sticks into a mayonnaise bottle and eating them for breakfast." Shizuru walked back to the table and placed a medium sized jar in front of Natsuki, "Here. I'm not sure what your usual favourite is but I did ask the store attendant. He said this brand is one of the best."

Natsuki picked up the jar, reading at the label and smiled, "You picked out the right one."

"Ara? Really?"

"Yeah!"

Natsuki almost laughed again at the childish squeal coming from Shizuru. She was as genuinely delighted as though she had just scored a goal in a soccer match. Natsuki wondered if it was that easy to make the brunette happy; it didn't take much at all. Her thoughts quickly went back to the conversation she had with Reito. She suddenly felt a little queasy.

Mentally shaking her head, Natsuki didn't wait long to uncap the jar and scooped a spoonful of mayonnaise, dumping it on her plate—Shizuru's throat worked on a gulp, and she mentally grimaced.

"Isn't it a little too much, Natsuki?"

"No... You should try too—"

Natsuki couldn't manage to finish her offer but Shizuru quickly shook her head, cutting her steak and starting to eat it.

"Ara! No, thank you!"

* * *

><p>There was a movie playing on HBO—Iron Man 3 to be specific. Natsuki was a big fan of Iron Man and Shizuru made a mental note on it; not only Iron Man but other super heroes movies as well. Natsuki seemed to be really engrossed by the movie, at least that was what Shizuru could tell from the girl's unwavering attention on the TV. Shizuru on the other hand found the movie stale and boring. She tried her best to keep herself awake but she could feel herself slowly drifting off to sleep.<p>

"This is really good..."

Shizuru blinked a few times, "I'm sorry?"

Natsuki used her spoon to point at the small cup in her hand, "This dessert. It's really awesome! What do you call this?"

Shizuru shifted slightly on her seat, suddenly feeling happy at the question. It made her feel incredibly warm inside, "It's 'Roasted strawberry, brie and chocolate grilled cheese.'"

"Wow..."

"Anyway, do you cook, Natsuki?"

Natsuki shook her head, sucking on the sweet spoon, completely unaware of the effect she was having on Shizuru. Shizuru unconsciously licked her lips and let her mouth fall open—she had never been so envious of an inanimate object before.

"No, I microwave. I microwave very well."

It took quite some time for Shizuru to understand but when she did, she went into a fit of giggles, causing Natsuki to blush brilliantly. Her face was steaming red from both anger and embarrassment. Deciding to ignore that laughing brunette, Natsuki took another spoonful, emptying the small cup and chomping at the spoon with a slow satisfying sigh.

"God... you're just as good as Mai—"

Natsuki paused and Shizuru instantly noticed. From the look on Natsuki's face, Shizuru could tell that something definitely had went wrong between Natsuki and Mai. Just at the mention of her name, Natsuki's face changed—upset and hurt. They fell into an awkward silence almost immediately. The loud bangs coming from the TV filled the silence between them. Though their eyes were trained at the screen, their thoughts were running off somewhere else, completely unaware that the movie had ended and and that the credits had started rolling.

Shizuru took a glance at the blunette right beside her but quickly shifted her gaze to the TV screen, "So... how are things between you and her?"

The question had to come out one way or another but she was afraid of the answer. Seeing Natsuki's face moments earlier somehow eased her worries, but the feeling of uncertainty came flooding her mind and made her stomach clench anxiously.

It took a moment for Natsuki to reply as she leaned slightly forward to set down the empty cup onto the coffee table.

"She left."

That made Shizuru snap her head around in surprise, "What?"

A sad smile reformed on Natsuki's lips as she rested her back against the sofa, sighing heavily, "You heard it. She left." Natsuki paused, her fingers fiddling with the spoon, "And she said she loves me too."

_Ok. There it is! _Shizuru could hear it resonating inside her head and she started to feel dizzy. That was the answer she had dreaded and now she had heard it straight out, Shizuru wanted to tell Natsuki to stop but the words which came after prevented her from doing so.

"But I just don't know anymore... I don't know what I feel about her..."

Now this got her full attention. She shifted on the sofa again, fully facing the blunette, a tad worried and a little bit excited.

"What do you mean?"

A soft chuckle escaped Natsuki's lips as she scratched at the back of her neck sheepishly, "She asked me to wait for her... I don't know if I could..."

"Why?" Shizuru just couldn't stop herself. She needed answers and she needed them now.

"Because I think I'm starting to fall for someone else..." Natsuki smiled again; a different kind of smile—Shizuru felt as if her heart was melting. She wondered how and when Natsuki had learned the ability to make her feel as if she was made of intangible mass.

…_but it does feel good too, doesn't it?_

Yukino's words rang inside her head and God, her heart had never pounded so hard—she could barely hear the rest of Natsuki's words.

"I don't know… Maybe I'm just confused and I think it's too soon for me to feel this way about someone I barely know—"

The volume of Natsuki's voice had somehow faded and sounded muffled to Shizuru's ear. While she was fighting with her own conscience, she slowly started inching closer to the blunette.

And before she knew it, their lips met.

* * *

><p>Natsuki's eyes widened at the sudden movement. Her eyes shifted from Shizuru's eyes and landed on the brunette's lips. She gulped and found herself moving in as well. She unconsciously leaned forward, like she was being pulled by this unknown force, and the next thing she knew, their lips were touching.<p>

It was weird. Natsuki didn't know why she leaned in. She was never the type to initiate anything, not even a conversation with a friend! But for some reason, this woman and with her sexy Kyoto accent seduced her without any effort whatsoever. Just one look from those eyes and she was hypnotized. How that brunette managed to do that was a big mystery to her, but in all honesty, she couldn't really care less right now. All she knew that she was very much enjoying the kiss.

It ended as soon as it began. Natsuki expected a shocked face, maybe an angry or even disgusted look from the brunette but she was presented with a heavily blushing cheeks instead.

"S-Shizuru- I'm sorry..."

"Don't..."

"W-what!?"

"Don't apologize... It's not your fault..."

"B-but..."

"I've been wanting this so much..." Shizuru breathed out with a smile, grazing her thumb lightly against Natsuki's trembling lips.

"You have no idea..."

* * *

><p><em>'She's drunk...'<em>

_The words kept replaying inside his brain like a mantra. His hands were shaking, his thoughts were jumbled, his heart was pounding—he could feel the blood rippling inside his veins. He shut his eyes tightly. The words were replaying again._

_'She's drunk...' _

_His eyes snapped open, the golden orbs darkened with desire and his breath grew heavier with each intake. Blood was pounding, his sight became blurry, his hand outstretched mindlessly._

_'She's drunk...'_

_His fingers touched skin, warm and insanely inviting. He felt tingles running down his spine. The heat against his fingers was shutting down his thoughts one by one until he could no longer hear himself fighting with his own conscience. _

_The seams were ripped._

_'She's drunk...'_

_Cotton was torn. _

_'...I'm not.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Okay... please review? ^_^<strong>


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